QLrUMBU-S 


^P^S^Tr^^      : 

^BBB 


'  ' 


COLUMBUS: 


OB, 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA. 


BY 


GEORGE    CUBITT. 


BOSTON: 

D.    LOTHROP    &    COMPANY, 
32  FRANKLIN  STREET. 

1881. 


E 


COPYRIGHT,   1881, 
BY  D.  LOTHROP  &  COMPANY. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

GENOA,  THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  COLUMBUS    .       .       Frontispiece 

MEDAL — COLUMBUS Title 

COLUMBUS xi 

LISBON 27 

SALAMANCA 51 

THE  CARAVEL  OF  COLUMBUS 69 

(Facsimile  of  a    Wood-engraving  of  1493,  from  a 
Design  by   Columbus  himself.} 

THE  CARAVELS  OF  COLUMBUS 105 

SIGHTING  THE  NEW  WORLD 115 

AMERICUS  VESPUCIUS 123 

HISPANIOLA 133 

BARCELONA 157 

ARMS  OF  COLUMBUS 165 

CADIZ 177 

NATIVE  HOUSE 193 

RUINS  OF  COLUMBUS'  HOUSE,  ST.  DOMINGO     .       .       .  203 
COFFIN  OF  LEAD  DISCOVERED  IN  THE  CATHEDRAL  AT  ST. 

DOMINGO 217 

TOMB  OF  COLUMBUS  AT  HAVANA 221 

INSCRIPTION  ON  A  SILVER  PLATE  FOUND  IN  THE  COFFIN  224 

7 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
CHAPTER  L— Birth  and  Early  Life  of  Columbus  •  .        .13 

CHAPTER   II.  — Early  Manhood 26 

CHAPTER  III.  — Belief  that  Land  existed  in  the  West      .  36 

CHAPTER  IV.  —  Events  relative  to  Discovery    ...  44 

CHAPTER  V.  — First  Arrival  of  Columbus  in  Spain  .        .  56 

CHAPTER  VI.  — Ferdinand  and  Isabella     ....  65 

CHAPTER  VII.  — Columbus  seeks  Spanish  Assistance       .  78 

CHAPTER  VIII.  —  Preparations  for  the  Expedition    .        .  93 
CHAPTER  IX.  — Events  of  the  First  Voyage     .        .        .105 

CHAPTER  X.  — First  Landing  of  Columbus  in  the  New 
World 119 

CHAPTER  XL  — Discovery  of  Cuba  and  Hispaniola  .  128 

CHAPTER  XII.  — Reception  in  Spain          .        .        .  .155 

CHAPTER  XIII.  —  Character  and  Work  of  Columbus  .  1 66 

CHAPTER  XIV.  — The  Third  Voyage         .        .        .  .194 

CHAPTER  XV.  — The  Fourth  Voyage         .        .        .  .211 

9 


COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

BIRTH  AND   EARLY  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

FR  ages,  to  the  more  civilized  nations  of 
Europe,  the  greater  portion  of  the  world 
was  unknown.  All  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
Roman  empire  was  what  the  very  imperfect  maps 
then  possessed  stated  it  to  be,  terra  incognita. 
Northern  Europe  was  considered  as  barbarous, 
and  its  higher  boundary-coast  was  little  under 
stood.  Of  eastern  Asia  it  was  only  known  that 
there  were  regions  to  the  north  and  east.  The 
Mediterranean  shores  of  Africa,  from  Palestine 
to  the  "Pillars  of  Hercules,"  were  of  course 

13 


14  COLUMBUS. 

known,  and  a  small  portion  of  the  coasts  washed 
by  the  Atlantic;  but  nothing  beyond.  How  far 
Asia  stretched  to  the  east,  and  what  lay  between 
it  and  the  west  of  Europe,  except  the  unpassed 
Atlantic,  was  as  unknown,  as  if  it  existed  not. 
While  navigation  was  confined  to  the  coasts, 
and  mariners  dared  not  venture  out  of  sight  of 
land,  such  ignorance  was  sure  to  continue. 

The  discovery  of  the  "  mariner's  compass  "  in 
troduced  a  new  era.  This  most  important  instru 
ment  had  long  been  known  to  that  singular 
people,  the  Chinese ;  and  it  is  generally  believed 
that  Marco  Polo,  who  returned  from  his  eastern 
travels,  about  A.  D.  1260,  brought  the  account  of 
it  into  Europe.  Its  European  origin,  however, 
is  involved  in  obscurity.  About  the  middle  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  a  comparatively  correct  idea 
of  the  form  of  Africa  appears  to  have  been  ac 
quired  by  the  Portuguese,  probably  by  means 
of  the  trading  Moors.  Some  years  subsequently 
the  Portuguese,  —  then  a  mercantile  and  enter 
prising  people,  not  having  been  brought  down 


BERTH   AND   EARLY  LIFE.  15 

by  the  lethargy  occasioned  by  priestly  domination 
and  long  years  of  ignorance,  —  were  desirous 
of  sharing  the  trade  of  India  with  Alexandria 
and  the  East.  Expeditions  were  accordingly  fitted 
out  for  the  circumnavigation  of  Africa.  A  strong 
impulse  had  been  given  to  the  public  mind  by 
the  patriotic  zeal  of  Prince  Henry,  son  of  John 
I.  and  Philippa  of  Lancaster,  sister  of  Henry  IV. 
of  England.  He  had  accompanied  his  father 
into  Africa,  on  an  expedition  against  the  Moors, 
and  had  received  much  information  concerning 
countries  to  the  south,  then  altogether  unknown 
in  Europe.  The  Canary  Islands  had  again  been 
discovered,  and  voyages  were  occasionally  made 
to  them,  and  from  them  to  the  opposite  shores 
of  Morocco  ;  so  that  the  coast,  from  the  Straits 
to  Cape  Bojador,  was  tolerabty  known.  Leaving 
the  court,  he  took  up  his  residence  near  Cape  St. 
Vincent,  in  full  view  of  the  ocean;  and  there, 
with  men  eminent  in  science,  he  pursued  his 
geographical  studies,  and  formed  plans  of  dis 
covery. 


16  COLUMBUS. 

It  occurred  to  him,  that  if  Africa  could  be 
circumnavigated,  a  sea-road  to  India  would  be 
opened,  and  at  least  a  share  of  its  lucrative 
trade  be  diverted  from  the  Venetians  to  his  own 
country.  He  communicated  to  others  a  portion 
of  his  own  enthusiasm ;  and  many  who  had 
hitherto  believed  that  the  navigation  of  the  torrid 
zone  was  impracticable,  and  who  dreaded  the 
idea  of  sailing  beyond  Cape  Bojador,  began,  not 
only  to  think  it  possible  to  extend  their  voyages 
with  safety,  but  earnestly  to  desire  to  do  so. 
Expeditions,  therefore,  were  fitted  out.  The  im 
provements  already  effected  in  nautical  science 
were  brought  into  practical  navigation.  Cape 
Bojador  was  doubled.  The  coast  was  explored 
as  far  as  Cape  de  Verde,  the  Azores  were  dis 
covered,  and  Prince  Henry,  already  anticipating 
the  results  of  the  spirit  he  had  thus  roused  into 
action,  obtained,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
age,  a  papal  bull,  by  which  Portugal  was  in 
vested  with  the  sovereignty  of  whatever  lands 


BIRTH  AND   EAKLY  LIFE.  17 

might  be   discovered  in  the   Atlantic,  as  far  as 
India. 

This  enterprising  prince,  who  was  so  far  beyond 
his  own  age,  died  in  November,  1472 ;  and  though 
the  impulse  he  had  communicated  was  diminished 
by  his  death,  still  much  of  it  remained  in  opera 
tion.  Africa  had  been  explored  on  its  coast  as 
far  as  the  twenty-second  degree  of  south  latitude. 
In  1487,  Bartholomew  Diaz  returned  from  a  voy 
age  in  which  he  had  been  enabled  to  discover 
three  hundred  leagues  more  of  coast,  and  reach 
the  Great  Cape,  which  he  had  doubled  in  a 
storm,  though  without  knowing  it.  He  named  it 
Cabo  Tormentoso,  or  the  "Stormy  Cape."  It 
was  not  until  about  ten  years  afterwards,  when 
passed  by  Vasco  de  Gama,  on  his  voyage  to 
India,  that  it  received  its  new  and  permanent 
appellation,  — that  of  the  "  Cape  of  Good  Hope." 

Between  the  crowns  of  Portugal  and  Castile 
there  were  frequent  disputes,  arising  from  con 
flicting  views  relative  to  navigation.  Maritime 
questions  regularly  engaged  the  attention  of  the 


18  COLUMBUS. 

Spaniards,  and  one  of  the  high  officers  of  state 
bore  the  title  of  "Admiral  of  Castile."  Por 
tugal  was  the  more  enterprising  of  the  two, — 
perhaps  because  the  more  united.  Spain,  as  yet, 
was  many  rather  than  one;  and  the  contests 
between  the  various  sovereigns  of  the  several 
states  prevented  all  unity  of  action  as  to  without. 
Portugal  was  connecting  itself  with  Africa  and 
India,  while  Spain  was  moving  slowly  and  un 
consciously  to  the  oneness  which  it  had  to  attain 
before  discovery  could  fix  new  gems  in  her  crown. 
And  at  length,  in  1479,  when  the  "  war  of  the 
succession  "  was  ended,  and  Ferdinand  of  Arragon 
and  Isabella  of  Castile  reigned  unitedly  over  all 
Spain,  —  except  the  small  kingdom  of  Granada 
in  the  south-west,  to  which  the  once  triumphant 
Spanish  Arabs  were  now  restricted,  —  an  agree 
ment  with  Portugal  seemed  to  shut  up  the  only 
door  through  which  it  was  so  long  believed  mari 
time  enterprise  could  pass.  Portugal  renounced 
all  claim  to  the  throne  of  Castile,  and  it  was,  on 
the  other  hand,  agreed  that  the  Spaniards,  retain- 


BIRTH  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  19 

ing  the  Canaries,  should  renounce  to  the  Portu 
guese  all  rights  of  commerce  and  discovery  on 
the  western  coast  of  Africa,  and  to  the  south 
ward.  Only  the  western  Atlantic,  therefore,  was 
left  to  them,  and  no  Spaniard  then  dreamed  of 
sailing  beyond  its  far  horizon*  Here,  therefore, 
the  progress  of  Spanish  discovery  paused.  Nor 
was  the  idea  of  its  revival,  especially  in  the 
only  practicable  direction,  ever  presented  to  the 
country,  till  a  foreigner,  poor,  long-neglected,  and 
despised,  —  Christopher  Columbus,  —  not  only 
suggested  the  idea,  but  implored  to  be  enabled 
to  carry  it  into  effect. 

"  Christopher  Columbus,"  one  of  the  most  cele 
brated  names  in  the  history  of  mankind,  was  an 
Italian.  He  was  born  at  Genoa,  about  the  year 
1435.  His  parents  were  poor,  but  reputable.  His 
father  was  a  wool-comber.  He  had  two  brothers, 
Bartholomew  and  (as  the  Italian  name  Giacomo 
is  in  Spanish)  Diego,  with  one  sister.  Chris 
topher  was  the  oldest  child. 

His  parents  were  attentive  to  his  education  in 


20  COLUMBUS. 

youth.  Together  with  reading,  writing,  and  arith 
metic,  he  made  some  proficiency  in  drawing.  His 
mind,  however,  was  most  strongly  inclined  to 
geography,  and  he  very  early  manifested  a  de 
cided  predilection  for  a  seafaring  life.  In  sub 
sequent  years,  he  was  accustomed  devoutly  to 
refer  this  to  a  Divine  impulse,  awakening  desires 
and  directing  to  studies,  preparatory  to  the  work 
which  at  length  he  was  the  instrument  of  ac 
complishing.  His  father,  perceiving  his  inclina 
tions,  sought,  so  far  as  his  abilities  allowed,  to 
give  him  an  education  suited  to  his  disposition. 
He  was  sent  to  the  University  of  Pavia,  and 
was  taught  geometry,  geography,  astronomy,  and 
navigation.  He  also  became  familiar  with  Lat 
in.  But  he  could  only  remain  a  short  time  at 
Pavia,  and  much  of  the  knowledge  which  after 
wards  he  evidently  possessed  was  the  result  of 
his  own  diligent  improvement  of  whatever  leisure 
he  might,  at  different  periods,  be  able  to  com 
mand.  He  stands  among  those  who  furnish 
valuable  lessons  to  the  young,  as  well  as  an  en- 


BIRTH    AND   EARLY   LIFE.  21 

couraging  example.  Through  subsequent  neglect 
the  rudiments  which  he  had  thoroughly  acquired 
would  have  passed  away  with  his  youth,  and 
been  of  no  service.  He  went  to  school,  but 
on  leaving  became  his  own  teacher  and  an  assid 
uous  scholar.  He  was  thus  the  better  prepared, 
through  the  vigor  which  exercise  gave  to  his 
mind,  to  make  the  best  use  of  the  information  he 
had  received.  His  character,  too,  through  his 
enlightened  and  sound  judgment,  became  decided 
and  firm.  He  acquired  energy,  and  understood 
the  right  way  in  which  it  was  to  be  employed. 
But  for  such  early  labors  he  had  never  been  the 
discoverer  of  the  "  New  World." 

And  his  merit  was  the  greater,  because  this 
improvement  of  the  rudiments  of  knowledge  was 
prosecuted  in  the  midst  of  the  toilsome  activities 
of  the  profession  on  which  he  had  resolved  to 
enter,  and  in  which  he  won  such  solid  and  abiding 
renown.  He  was  only  fourteen  when  he  left  the 
university  and  commenced  his  nautical  career. 
Of  this  portion  of  his  history  few  particulars  have 


22  COLUMBUS. 

been  recorded.     It  is  said  that  he  first  embarked 
with  a  bold  and  hardy  captain  bearing  the  same 
family  name,  and  who  was    distinguished  for  his 
bravery.     The  sea,  even  in  the  enclosed  Mediter 
ranean,  had  not  the  safety  which  navigators  now 
experience.     Piracy  was  so  common  as  almost  to 
be  regarded  as  lawful :  those,  therefore,  who  were 
engaged  in  pursuits  peaceful  in  their  real  charac 
ter,  were  obliged  always  to  be  prepared  to  defend 
themselves  against    those   hostile    attacks,  which 
were  so  frequent  as  to  furnish  subjects  of  regiilar 
expectation.     The  Mohammedans,  especially,  were 
both  powerful  and  enterprising.     Discipline  and 
courage   were   therefore    almost   as    necessary   in 
trading-vessels  as  in  ships  purposely  equipped  for 
war.     It  was  a  rugged  school  in  which  Columbus, 
when   scarcely   emerged   from    boyhood,   had    to 
learn  the  duties  of   a  seaman;    but   he   profited 
greatly  from  the  experience  thus  afforded. 

His  first  recorded  voyage  was  in  a  naval  expe 
dition  fitted  out,  in  1459,  by  the  Duke  of  Cala 
bria,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  the  kingdom  of 


BIRTH  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  23 

Naples.  Genoa  contributed  both  ships  and  money, 
and  many  private  adventurers  were  engaged.  Old 
Columbo  was  among  them,  and  had  the  command 
of  a  squadron.  Columbus  sailed  with  him.  The 
services  of  the  expedition  occupied  four  years. 
In  the  course  of  it  Columbus  is  believed  to  have 
distinguished  himself,  though  the  particulars  have 
not  been  transmitted  to  later  times.  This  is  in 
ferred  from  his  appointment,  later,  to  a  separate 
command.  He  was  sent  to  the  port  of  Tunis,  to 
cut  out  a  galley  which  had  anchored  there ;  and 
he  performed  this  duty  with  great  resolution  and 
complete  success. 

Of  several  years  of  his  life,  after  this  expedi 
tion,  there  are  left  only  very  general  accounts. 
He  was  chiefly  employed  in  the  Mediterranean, 
then  the  great  water-field  both  of  commerce  and 
naval  warfare.  One  anecdote  has  been  narrated 
by  his  son  Fernando.  He  was  sailing  with  a 
nephew  of  his  old  captain,  himself  a  furious  cor 
sair,  so  noted  for  his  bold  deeds  that  the  Moham 
medan  mothers  of  northern  Africa  used  to  en- 


24  COLUMBUS. 

deavor  to  terrify  their  children,  when  unruly,  by 
employing  his  name.  On  one  occasion  he  laid 
wait  for  four  richly-laden  Venetian  galleys  return 
ing  from  Flanders.  He  fell  in  with  them  on  the 
coast  of  Portugal,  between  Cape  St.  Vincent  and 
Lisbon.  The  attack  and  defence  were  conducted 
with  bravery  and  vigor,  and  many  lives  were 
lost.  The  ships  grappled  with  each  other,  and 
the  sailors  fought  man  to  man.  The  vessel  in 
which  Columbus  had  sailed  was  engaged  with  a 
very  large  Venetian  one.  The  combustible  mis 
siles  that  were  employed  set  the  galley  on  fire. 
The  vessels  had  been  lashed  together  for  the  com 
bat;  and,  as  they  could  not  be  separated,  both 
were  soon  wrapped  in  flames.  The  crew  threw 
themselves  into  the  water,  and  swam  for  their 
lives,  though  the  shore  was  several  miles  distant. 
Columbus,  who  was  among  them,  saw  an  oar 
floating  near  him,  probably  one  of  the  large  ones 
employed  by  the  galley-rowers :  he  seized  it,  and 
by  resting  upon  it  increased  his  own  buoyancy ; 
and  as  he  was  an  able  swimmer,  he  stood  before 


BIRTH   AND   EARLY   LIFE. 


25 


long,  though  almost  exhausted,  upon  dry  land. 
Recovering  from  his  fatigue,  he  proceeded  to  Lis 
bon,  where  he  safely  arrived.  Some  of  his  histo 
rians  supposed  that  this  was  his  first  visit  to  the 
Portuguese  capital;  but  more  accurate  research 
by  later  writers  has  cast  doubt  on  the  statement. 
Washington  Irving,  on  the  whole,  concludes  that 
his  going  to  Lisbon  at  first  "was  not  the  fortuitous 
result  of  desperate  adventure,  but  proceeded  from 
a  spirit  of  liberal  curiosity;  and  in  the  pursuit  of 
honorable  fortune,"  at  a  place  which,  at  that  time, 
afforded  "  ample  attractions  for  a  person  of  his  in 
clinations  and  pursuits." 


CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY  MANHOOD. 

IT  was  about  the  year  1470  that  Columbus  ar 
rived  in  Portugal,  being  then  about  thirty-five 
years  of  age.  Washington  Irving,  who  had  thor 
oughly  studied  the  minute  descriptions  of  him 
given  by  his  contemporaries,  and  combined  the 
scattered  notices  into  what  appears  to  be  a  natural 
and  harmonious  result,  thus  presents  it :  "  He  was 
tall,  well-formed,  and  muscular,  and  of  an  ele 
vated  and  dignified  demeanor.  His  visage  was 
long,  and  neither  full  nor  meagre  ;  his  complexion 
fair  and  freckled,  and  inclined  to  ruddy ;  his  nose 
aquiline ;  his  cheek-bones  were  rather  high  ;  his 
eyes  light  gray,  and  apt  to  enkindle ;  his  whole 
countenance  had  an  air  of  authority.  His  hair, 

26 


EAKLY   MANHOOD.  29 

in  his  youthful  days,  was  of  a  light  color,  but 
care  and  trouble  soon  turned  it  to  gray,  and  at 
thirty  years  of  age  it  was  quite  white.  He  was 
moderate  and  simple  in  diet  and  apparel,  eloquent 
in  discourse,  engaging  and  affable  with  strangers, 
and  of  an  amiableness  and  suavity  in  domestic 
life  that  strongly  attached  his  household  to  his 
person.  His  temper  was  naturally  irritable ;  but 
he  subdued  it  by  the  magnanimity  of  his  spirit, 
comporting  himself  with  a  courteous  and  gentle 
gravity,  and  never  indulging  in  any  intemperance 
of  language.  Throughout  his  life  he  was  noted 
for  a  strict  attention  to  the  offices  of  religion ;  nor 
did  his  piety  consist  in  mere  forms,  but  partook 
of  that  lofty  and  solemn  enthusiasm  with  which 
his  whole  character  was  strongly  tinctured." 

While  residing  at  Lisbon,  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  family  of  Bartolomeo  Monis  de  Pales- 
trello,  an  Italian  cavalier,  who  had  died  a  short 
time  previously.  Palestrello  was  one  of  those  dis 
tinguished  navigators  whom  Prince  Henry  de 
lighted  to  call  around  him  and  to  employ.  He 


30  COLUMBUS. 

had,  under  his  auspices,  colonized  and  governed 
the  island  of  Porto  Santo,  about  forty  miles  to 
the  north-east  of  Madeira.  He  had  left  a  daugh 
ter,  Dona  Felipa,  to  whom  Columbus  became  at 
tached,  and  whom  he  soon  afterwards  married. 
That  Felipa  de  Palestrello,  though  a  lady  of  rank, 
had  no  fortune,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
union  was  entirely  one  of  affection. 

At  all  events,  his  connection  with  the  family 
of  the  deceased  navigator  was  in  perfect  agree 
ment  with  all  his  own  habits  of  thought  and  feel 
ing,  and  contributed  powerfully  to  lead  him  on 
ward  in  the  path  he  had  chosen  for  himself.  On 
his  marriage,  he  became  an  inmate  of  the  house 
in  which  his  wife  had  hitherto  resided  with  her 
mother.  The  widow  perceived  the  strong  interest 
which  he  took  in  nautical  affairs,  and  in  their 
family  conversations  related  to  him  all  that  she 
knew  of  the  voyages  and  expeditions  of  her  hus 
band.  She  likewise  put  into  his  hands  the  papers 
which  had  been  left  her ;  and  thus  Columbus  was 
enabled  to  collect  the  valuable  and  stirring  infor- 


EARLY  MANHOOD.  31 

mation  which  he  would  find  in  the  charts,  journals, 
and  other  manuscripts  of  Palestrello.  To  us  who 
know  the  subsequent  history  of  the  great  naviga 
tor,  these  domestic  colloquies  assume  a  very  inter 
esting  character. 

The  life  of  Columbus  had  hitherto  been  rough 
as  well  as  active,  and  we  see  him  with  pleasure  at 
repose  in  the  bosom  of  a  family  every  way  adapted 
to  his  tastes  and  principles.  He  had  anchored, 
after  a  boisterous  voyage,  in  a  pleasant  harbor, 
but  with  the  evident  purpose  of  refitting  his  ves 
sel,  and  preparing  again  to  put  to  sea.  He  pur 
sued  his  studies,  he  drew  maps  and  charts  for  the 
purpose  of  contributing  to  the  support  of  his 
family,  and  sailed  once  or  twice  to  the  coast  of 
Guinea.  The  family  removed,  also,  for  a  period 
to  Porto  Santo,  where  Palestrello  had  been  gover 
nor,  and  where  his  wife  had  inherited  some  small 
property.  It  was  in  this  island  that  his  son, 
Diego,  was  born.  In  this  almost  barren  spot, 
chiefly  composed  of  basalt  rock,  the  highest  emi 
nence  being  not  more  than  five  hundred  feet, 


32  COLUMBUS. 

there  would  not  be  the  confusion  which  so  easily 
distracts  the  attention  in  a  sea-port  metropolis. 
Is  it  too  much  to  suppose  that  here,  ascending  to 
the  summit  of  the  rocky  hill  behind  the  town, 
he  would  gaze  on  the  vast  expanse  of  ocean 
spreading  westward,  and  ruminate  on  what  might 
possibly  be  beyond  the  waves  that  rolled  before 
him? 

In  1474,  the  scheme  of  voyaging  to  India  by 
sailing  directly  westward  appears  to  have  been 
fully  formed  in  his  mind ;  but  it  must  previously 
have  often  occupied  his  active  and  anxious 
thoughts.  A  sister  of  his  wife  was  married  to 
another  of  Prince  Henry's  navigators,  Pedro 
Coreo,  who  also  had  at  one  time  been  governor  of 
Porto  Santo.  With  him,  we  may  be  well  assured, 
conversations  would  frequently  be  held  on  sub 
jects  which,  not  only  were  generally  exciting  in 
society  at  large,  but  which  moved  his  own  mind 
with  such  especial  force.  Already  enough  was 
known  to  fan  the  flame  which  was  now  enkindled. 
Imagination  invested  India  with  wealth  and  mag- 


EARLY  MANHOOD.  38 

nificence,  and  with  all  the  wonders  of  an  un 
known  region ;  and  who  could  tell  what  other 
regions,  not  less  wealthy,  not  less  wonderful, 
awaited  the  discoveries  of  science,  skill,  and  cour 
age?  The  dream  of  Plato,  respecting  the  island 
Atalantis,  far  away  in  the  Western  Ocean,  had 
been  revived;  and,  especially  among  sailors,  ru 
mors  were  afloat,  often  far  more  exciting  than 
real.  With  none  of  these  would  Columbus 
be  unacquainted ;  and  even  his  well-balanced 
mind  could  not  fail  to  be  moved  by  them.  But 
he  was  too  thoughtful  to  be  governed  by  what 
was  only  rumor ;  he  was  only  stimulated  by  it  to 
more  extensive  research  and  more  diligent  study. 
The  grand  object  was  the  discovery  of  such  a 
route  to  India  as  might  be  safe  to  navigators  and 
profitable  to  commerce ;  and  by  all  but  himself 
the  direction  in  which  this  route  was  sought  was 
by  the  circumnavigation  of  Africa :  he  conceived 
the  idea,  which  ultimately  produced  the  uncon 
querable  resolution  to  work  it  out  in  practice,  of 
turning  from  the  difficult  and  dangerous  coasting- 


34  COLUMBUS. 

voyage  around  a  continent  only  partially  known, 
and  directing  his  daring  course  to  the  west,  seek 
ing  to  cross  the  ocean  only  known  by  the  waves 
which  dashed  upon  its  eastern  shores. 

We  cannot  dismiss  the  idea  that  Columbus,  at 
Porto  Santo,  formed  his  great  resolution.  Stand 
ing  on  its  highest  ground,  and  looking  eastward, 
he  would  know  that  before  him,  from  north  to 
south,  vast  continents  stretched,  teeming  with  in 
habitants.  Carrying  his  thoughts  still  onward, 
the  existence  of  the  Indian  regions  was  a  well- 
known  fact,  and  of  India  the  eastern  limits  were 
unknown ;  no  geographer  had  drawn,  from  certain 
knowledge,  the  farthest  sea-board  line.  Turning 
to  the  west,  where  nothing  but  the  ever-rolling 
waves  met  his  view,  and  sea  and  sky  seemed  to 
meet  on  the  distant  horizon,  would  he  not  ask 
himself,  How  near  does  farthest  India  approach 
that  line  ?  He  knew  it  to  be  the  limit  of  Euro 
pean  knowledge ;  but  he  also  knew  that  it  was  no 
barrier  to  them  who  would  boldly  hold  on  their 
course  to  the  far  west;  and  why  might  not  he 


EARLY  MANHOOD. 


35 


thus  arrive  with  greater  speed  and  safety,  at  the 
far  east  ?  Such,  at  all  events,  was  the  great  idea 
on  which  his  mind  was  brooding,  when,  after  two 
or  three  years,  we  find  him  again  at  Lisbon. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BELIEF   THAT  LAND  EXISTED    IN  THE   WEST. 

"/ DOMING  events  cast  their  shadows  before." 
^-S  Seldom  does  any  great  occurrence  break 
on  the  unprepared  minds  of  men  with  astounding 
abruptness.  Unformed  opinions  begin  to  assume 
shape,  and  rumors  multiply  and  thicken,  till  ex 
pectation  stands  on  tiptoe  and  looks  for  a  some 
thing  anticipated,  but  unknown.  Long  before  the 
showers  come  down,  the  invisible  vapor  has  been 
ascending,  the  atmosphere,  surcharged,  becomes 
hazy;  while  clouds  small  as  the  human  hand 
begin  to  appear,  and,  by-and-by,  unite  to  cover  the 
heavens  with  blackness,  and  there  is  the  sound  as 
of  abundance  of  rain. 

Even  among  the  ancients  there  had  been  vague 

36 


BELIEF  THAT  LAND  EXISTED  IN   THE  WEST.      3T 

suppositions  of  land  far  away  over  the  western 
ocean.  And  when  the  true  form  of  the  earth  had 
been  ascertained,  the  geographers  had  endeavored 
to  collect  all  that  could  be  gathered  from  both 
fact  and  rumor  to  complete  the  map  of  the  globe. 
Columbus  had  studied  both  the  theories  of  the 
ancients  and  the  systems  of  modern  geographers. 
Of  the  three  hundred  and  sixty  degrees  of  the 
earth's  equatorial  circumference,  he  reckoned  that 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  (fifteen  hours)  had 
been  known  even  to  the  early  geographers,  and 
that  fifteen  more,  in  all  two  hundred  and  forty, 
had  been  added  by  the  discovery  of  the  Azores 
and  Cape  de  Verde  Islands.  From  these,  east 
ward,  two-thirds  of  the  circumference  were  known. 
One-third,  from  the  farthest  known  westward 
point  to  that,  by  joining  which  the  circle  would 
be  completed,  remained  yet  to  be  explored.  He 
thought  that  the  unknown  parts  of  Asia  might  ex 
tend  farther  to  the  east,  and  thus  considerably 
curtail  the  distance  over  which  it  was  necessary 
to  pass.  The  Arabian  geographers  reckoned  the 


38  COLUMBUS. 

degree  to  be  much  smaller  than  was  usually 
thought  by  others ;  and  the  opinion  appears  to 
have  been  embraced  by  Columbus.  The  real  dis 
tance  therefore,  would  be,  comparatively,  not  so 
very  great,  and  land  might  be  discovered  lying 
much  nearer  to  Europe  than  was  commonly  imag 
ined.  There  was  nothing,  in  the  estimation  of 
Columbus,  which  might  not  be  accomplished  by 
science  and  skill  united  to  vigilance  and  courage. 
Such  seem  to  have  been  his  opinions  in  1474. 
He  communicated  them  in  a  letter  addressed  to  a 
friendly  correspondent  at  Florence,  Paolo  Tos- 
canelli,  a  learned  and  inquiring  Italian  cosmog- 
rapher.  Toscanelli,  in  reply,  afforded  him  all 
the  information  he  could  give,  chiefly  derived  from 
the  narrative  of  Marco  Polo,  a  Venetian,  who,  in 
the  preceding  century  had  travelled  into  the  re 
motest  parts  of  Asia,  ascertaining  much,  and,  by 
magnifying  the  distance  actually  travelled,  — 
which  in  the  countries  and  times  of  slow  travel 
ling,  might  very  easily,  and  with  no  bad  intention, 
be  done,  —  conjecturing  more.  Beyond  the  ex- 


BELIEF  THAT  LAND  EXISTED  IN  THE  WEST.      39 

tremity  of  the  Asiatic  continent  he  described  cer 
tain  islands  still  farther  to  the  eastward  abounding 
in  marvels  and  wealth.  Toscanelli  encouraged 
Columbus  in  his  purpose  of  seeking  India  by  sail 
ing  to  the  west ;  and  calculated  that,  from  Lisbon 
to  these  Oriental  islands,  the  distance  could  not 
be  more  than  four  thousand  miles;  a  sixth,  in 
stead  of  a  third  of  the  earth's  circumference. 

Nor  did  the  adventurous  but  cautious  and  in 
quiring  navigator  neglect  to  gather  all  the  facts 
and  rumors  within  his  reach,  extracting  from  them 
whatever  information  they  might  supply.  He 
conversed  with  veteran  navigators  and  with  those 
inhabitants  of  the  recently  discovered  islands  to 
the  west  whom  he  chanced  to  meet.  He  heard  of 
nothing  adverse  to  his  conjectures;  and  much 
that  in  several  ways  confirmed  them.  An  inhabi 
tant  of  Madeira  told  him  that  he  had  once  sailed 
a  hundred  leagues  to  the  west,  and  had  seen  there 
islands  in  the  distance.  Another  told  him  that 
once  in  a  voyage  to  Ireland,  he  had  seen  land  to 
the  westward.  These  were,  indeed,  groundless 


40  COLUMBUS. 

rumors ;  but  there  were  facts  which  strengthened 
the  suppositions  to  which  they  gave  rise.  A  pilot 
in  the  service  of  the  King  of  Portugal  told  him 
that  at  the  distance  of  four  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues  from  Cape  St.  Vincent,  he  had  found  float 
ing  in  the  water,  a  piece  of  carved  wood,  in  the 
shaping  of  which  it  was  plain  that  iron  had  not 
been  employed.  His  brother-in-law,  Pedro  Correo, 
also  told  him  that  a  similar  piece  of  wood  had 
drifted  from  the  same  quarter  on  the  shore  of 
Porto  Santo.  He  had  also  heard  from  the  King 
of  Portugal  that  reeds  of  an  immense  size  had 
been  washed  on  the  same  island,  evidently  from 
the  west.  Westerly  winds  had  brought  floating 
to  the  Azores  large  pine-trees,  such  as  were  not  to 
be  found  in  those  islands. 

But  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  circumstance 
was,  as  stated  to  him  by  some  of  the  inhabitants, 
that  on  the  island  of  Flores,  one  of  the  most  wes 
terly  of  the  Azores,  the  bodies  of  two  men  differ 
ent  from  any  known  race,  had  been  cast  by  the 
waves.  Everything  seemed  to  tell  of  vegetation 


BELIEF  THAT  LAND  EXISTED  IN  THE  WEST.      41 

and   inhabitants  and,   therefore,  land  in   the   far 
west.     By  investigation  and  study,  therefore,  as 
complete  as  circumstances  allowed,  his  theory  be 
came   fixed.      And   along  with  it   was  mixed  a 
strong  religious  feeling.     The  unknown  inhabit 
ants  of    these  undiscovered  regions    were    men, 
human  beings  like  himself,  owing  their  existence 
to   the  same   Creator ;   but  not,  like  himself,  in 
structed  in  His  knowledge  and  fear.  His  worship 
and  service.     Little  was  known  of  the  countries 
of  the  east ;  but  that  little  presented  the  people, 
with  the  exception  of    one   nation   that  was   re 
ported  to  be  Christian,  as  altogether  devoted  to 
idolatry.     Among  the  studies  of   Columbus,  the 
ancient  prophecies  of  Holy  Writ  were   in  some 
degree,  at  least,  included ;  and  these  spoke  of  the 
ends  of  the  earth  as  being  brought  to  see  the  sal 
vation  of  God.     He  desired  not  less  the  extension 
of  his  own  faith  than  the  enlargement  of  geograph 
ical  knowledge  and  the  improvement  of  science. 
His  were  not  the  wild  schemes  of  the  daring  and 
reckless   adventurer.     They  resulted  from  wide 


42  COLUMBUS. 

examination  and  profound  thought,  which,  sanc 
tified  by  religion,  animated  him  with  a  noble 
enthusiasm,  self-possession,  and  dignity.  Although 
of  humble  station,  he  stood  upright  even  in  the 
presence  of  crowned  heads.  Loftier  conceptions 
and  designs  were  never  cherished  by  mortal  man. 
And  they  were  his  own.  His  calculations  were 
based  on  facts  attainable  by  all ;  but  he  alone  had 
the  patient  industry  to  collect  and  arrange  them, 
the  capacity  and  power  to  embrace  their  vast  re 
sults. 

The  conditions  he  proposed  when  his  plans  were 
formed  and  he  was  ready  to  enter  upon  his  stupen 
dous  task,  disclosed  the  strength  of  his  mind.  He 
was  to  take  his  place  among  the  highest  of  Euro 
pean  subjects,  winning  for  himself  the  patent  of 
a  nobility,  in  the  splendor  of  which,  that  of  ances 
try  would  pale,  as  the  moon  is  dimmed  by  the 
brightness  of  the  fully-risen  sun.  The  supremacy 
of  the  sovereign  who  would  enable  him  to  accom 
plish  his  stupendous  task  he  would  readily  ac 
knowledge  ;  but  as  viceroy  of  the  lands  he  dis- 


BELIEF  THAT  LAND  EXISTED  IN  THE  WEST.      43 

covered,  only  to  the  monarch  to  whose  dominions 
he  brought  such  marvellous  annexations  would  he 
be  the  subject.  If  ever  man  toiled  to  the  summit 
of  human  greatness  by  a  path  marked  out  from 
the  first  by  himself,  that  man  was  Christopher 
Columbus. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EVENTS   RELATIVE  TO    DISCOVERY. 

THE  enthusiasm  of  Columbus  was  as  enlight 
ened  as  it  was  grand.  The  sublimity  of  his 
conceptions  as  to  the  future,  produced  no  negli 
gence  as  to  subordinate  and  present  duties.  Con 
templating  at  least  the  commencement  of  the  final 
exploration  of  the  world,  he  attended  with  dili 
gence  to  the  concerns  of  his  family.  We  have 
seen  that  he  employed  his  geographical  knowledge 
in  the  construction  of  maps  and  charts,  which  he 
sold  to  provide  means  for  his  domestic  expendi 
ture  ;  and,  limited  as  these  means  were,  it  is  de 
lightful  to  see  them  so  employed  as  to  exhibit  the 
future  discoverer  of  the  New  World  as  the  dutiful 
son  and  the  affectionate  brother.  He  contributed 

44 


EVENTS   RELATIVE  TO  DISCOVERY.  45 

to  the  support  of  his  aged  father  at  Genoa,  and 
to  the  education  of  his  younger  brothers.  He 
sought  employment  as  a  navigator  ;  and,  not  only 
sailed  more  than  once  to  the  coast  of  Guinea,  but 
voyaged  into  the  northern  seas,  visiting  Iceland, 
probably  the  "  Ultima  Thule  "  of  the  ancients ; 
the  difference  between  its  actual  position  and  that 
which  they  assigned  to  it,  being  easily  explained 
by  the  scantiness  and  obscurity  of  their  geograph 
ical  knowledge.  All  the  while  the  great  idea  was 
brooding  in  his  mind,  acquiring  form  in  his  imagi 
nation,  and  taking  faster  hold  on  his  judgment ; 
but  its  progress  towards  action  was  slow.  From 
without  he  had  no  encouragement ;  for  anything 
he  knew,  his  was  the  only  mind  in  which  dwelt  so 
noble  a  thought.  Nor  was  this  by  any  means  the 
smallest  obstacle  which  he  had  to  surmount.  He 
was  a  poor  man  and  could  not  command  a  vessel 
in  which  to  sail  on  his  own  account,  in  directions 
known  to  all.  How  was  he  to  be  enabled  to  fit 
out  several,  for  such  an  expedition  as  that  which 
he  contemplated?  Less  than  the  patronage  of 


46  COLUMBUS. 

sovereign  power  would  not  suffice  for  the  expense 
of  the  preparations,  and  for  giving  him  the  influ 
ence  necessaty  to  persuade  a  sufficient  number  of 
able  and  experienced  seamen  to  accompany  him  in 
so  hazardous,  and,  in  some  respects,  so  alarming 
an  undertaking.  An  ordinary  mind  would  long 
before  have  banished  the  conception,  or  only  ad 
verted  to  it  in  the  day-dreamings  of  an  indolent 
leisure.  Not  such  a  mind  was  his.  He  believed 
the  idea  to  be  practicable,  he  cherished  the  hope 
of  finding  it  to  be  so,  and  resolved  to  seek  and 
await  the  opportunity  of  proving  that  it  was  so,  to 
the  whole  world.  But  he  waited  not  in  idleness. 
He  was  gradually  forming  his  plans.  When  they 
were  matured  and  ready  for  execution,  the  Provi 
dence  under  whose  secret  movements  he  had  been 
inwardly  acting,  prepared  the  way  for  him  to  com 
mence  the  proceedings  from  which  such  vast  re 
sults  have  already  issued,  and  are  still  continuing 
to  issue. 

In  1481,   John    II.,   grand-nephew  of    Prince 
Henry  ascended  the   Portuguese    throne.      The 


EVENTS   RELATIVE   TO  DISCOVERY.  47 

cause  of  discovery  had  long  been  languishing, 
though  along  the  coasts  of  Africa  there  was  a 
slow  advancement.  But  with  the  accession  of 
John  came  a  revival  of  enterprise.  The  age  was 
more  active.  Printing  had  been  discovered,  books 
had  begun  to  issue  from  the  press,  and  the  com 
munication  from  mind  to  mind  of  whatever  knowl 
edge  might  be  acquired  was  thus  made  more  cer 
tain,  rapid,  and  extensive.  Knowledge  became 
common  property :  all  who  possessed,  or  thought 
they  possessed  any,  felt  that  they  could  impart  it 
easily,  and  the  many  were  invited  to  receive  their 
share.  The  general  stagnancy  of  the  human  intel 
lect  had  passed  away  never  to  return ;  and  igno 
rance,  by  becoming  avoidable,  had  become  crimi 
nal.  A  passion  for  foreign  research,  similar  to 
that  which  had  governed  his  uncle,  influenced 
John.  India  was  no  longer  a  country  beyond 
European  reach ;  and  the  accounts  received  from 
it,  true,  exaggerated,  or  fabulous,  in  a  mind  like 
that  of  John,  aroused  curiosity  and  stimulated 
research.  Earnestly  desirous  of  opening  India 


48  COLUMBUS. 

more  fully  to  Portuguese  exploration  he  sum 
moned  around  him  men  of  science,  especially 
those  who  were  eminent  in  geography  ;  and  sought 
from  them  the  means  of  greater  certainty  in  navi 
gation. 

One  result  of  their  investigations  was  the  ap 
plication  of  the  astrolabe — the  instrument  by 
which  the  altitudes  and  angular  distances  of  the 
heavenly  bodies,  visible,  particularly  during  the 
night,  on  the  concave  hemisphere,  were  measured 
—  to  the  purposes  of  the  voyager.  This  has  since 
been  reduced  to  the  modern  quadrant;  but  its 
most  important  advantages  were  from  the  first  se 
cured.  The  navigator  was  enabled,  though  in  the 
beginning  somewhat  roughly,  to  measure  his  pro 
gress  through  the  pathless  ocean,  by  observing  the 
apparent  alterations  of  altitude,  distance,  and 
position  among  planets  and  stars.  This,  together 
with  the  compass,  made  it  safe  to  voyage  out  of 
sight  of  hitherto  limiting  landmarks.  The  com 
pass  exhibited  the  direction  in  which  the  vessel 
was  sailing,  while  the  astrolabe  enabled  the  hardy 


EVENTS  RELATIVE  TO  DISCOVERY.  49 

mariner  to  sail  by  the  sky-marks  presented  by  the 
lofty  heavens  above  him. 

The  hazard  which  had  thus  been  the  greatest 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  Columbus  seemed  now  to 
be  removed ;  and  knowing  the  wishes  of  the  Por 
tuguese  sovereign  he  resolved  to  apply  to  him. 
And  never  was  there  a  more  commanding  proof  of 
the  validity  of  the  moral  axiom  that  "  honesty  is 
the  best  of  policy,"  than  was  exhibited  by  the  re- 
salt  of  the  application  of  Columbus  to  the  king 
of  Portugal.  A  piece  of  real  trickery  prevented 
him  from  placing  in  his  crown  a  jewel  richer  than 
any  which  adorned  it.  The  proposal  was  referred 
by  the  monarch  to  three  of  the  most  learned  of 
his  councillors ;  one  of  them  a  bishop,  and  his 
confessor.  By  them  it  was  represented  as  vision 
ary  ;  but  it  was  too  much  in  accordance  with  the 
feelings  of  John  to  be  easily  renounced.  He 
therefore  convoked  a  larger  assembly,  and  de 
manded  a  full  discussion  of  the  question.  The 
opinion  of  Cazadilla,  the  bishop,  prevailed  here, 
as  it  had  done  before,  and  the  king  was  advised  to 


50  COLUMBUS. 

dismiss  Columbus.  Cazadilla,  however,  saw  that 
John  was  not  satisfied ;  and  craftily  suggested  a 
plan  by  which  some  trial  might  be  given  to  the 
proposal  of  Columbus,  without  committing  the 
dignity  of  the  crown  to  that  which  might  be  no 
better  than  an  idle  dream.  As  if  to  assist  them  in 
their  deliberations,  they  procured  from  Columbus 
so  much  information  as  was  sufficient  for  their 
purpose.  Holding  him  in  suspense  as  to  their 
ultimate  decision,  orders  were  sent  to  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands  for  a  small  vessel  to  pursue  for 
some  distance  the  intended  route  of  the  skilled 
and  courageous  navigator.  The  vessel  left  the 
islands  and  sailed  to  the  westward  for  several 
days.  The  weather  then  became  stormy,  and  the 
wild  rolling  and  tossing  of  the  mighty  billows, 
lashed  by  the  winds  into  fury,  every  hour  in 
creasing,  so  terrified  both  master  and  crew,  that 
they  retraced  their  way,  and  rejoiced  to  find  them 
selves  in  safety  at  the  place  they  had  not  long  be 
fore  left.  They  then  proceeded  to  Lisbon,  and 
what  with  their  fears,  and  what  with  their  desire 


EVENTS   RELATIVE  TO  DISCOVEEY.  53 

to  excuse  themselves,  and  prove  that  they  had 
done  right  in  desisting  from  their  onward  course, 
they  so  magnified  the  perils  to  which  they  said 
they  had  been  exposed,  that  Cazadilla  proceeded 
in  triumph  to  the  king  with  this  decisive  confir 
mation  of  his  former  opinion. 

But  this  conduct  could  not  be  concealed  from 
Columbus.  Firmly  believing  the  correctness  of 
his  opinions,  he  was  indignant  that  such  an  inefii- 
cient  method  of  demonstrating  their  impractica 
bility  had  been  employed.  He  became  still  more 
indignant  when  he  learned  that  the  method  in 
volved  an  attempt  to  cheat  him  out  of  the  honor 
and  benefits  which,  if  attainable,  properly  be 
longed  to  himself.  Besides,  his  circumstances 
had  become  painfully  embarrassing.  His  private 
studies  had  interfered  with  his  plans  for  obtain 
ing  a  livelihood;  his  wife  was  dead,  leaving 
him  a  widower,  with  his  son  Diego,  then  a  mere 
child.  Portugal  had  now  no  hold  on  him ;  and 
not  even  some  disposition  said  to  be  manifested 
on  the  part  of  John  to  renew  the  negotiation 


54  COLUMBUS. 

could  induce  him  to  continue  there.  Taking  Die 
go  with  him,  toward  the  close  of  1484,  he  departed 
from  Portugal.  Thus  its  unwise  monarch  lost 
for  ever  the  opportunity  of  securing  the  object  of 
his  strongest  desires,  —  an  object,  unlike  most  of 
those  on  which  human  desires  are  generally  fixed, 
proving  eventually  to  be  far  more  splendid  in  its 
realization  than  in  its  first  conception. 

This  portion  of  the  history  of  Columbus  may 
well  be  closed  by  tracing  —  it  is  all  that  can  be 
done  —  the  little  more  than  traditionary  recol 
lections  which  are  apparent  in  the  cloud  that 
hangs  over  the  following  year.  It  is  said  that 
from  Lisbon  he  proceeded  to  Genoa,  where  he  re 
newed  his  applications,  and,  being  unsuccessful, 
thence  to  Venice,  where  he  was  also  disappointed ; 
and  from  like  causes  in  both  instances.  Both 
republics  were  in  a  declining  and  critical  state, 
and  had  not  the  spirit,  nor  the  ability,  to  comply 
with  the  proposals  that  were  made  to  them.  At 
Genoa,  his  father  was  still  living ;  and  for  him,  in 
his  extreme  age,  he  made  such  provision  as  his 


EVENTS  RELATIVE   TO  DISCOVERY. 


55 


circumstances  allowed.  About  the  same  time,  he 
is  believed  to  have  sent  his  brother  Bartolomeo  to 
England,  to  endeavor  to  engage  Henry  VII.,  then 
renowned  throughout  Europe  for  his  opulence 
and  prudence ;  but  who  seems  to  have  been  too 
prudent  to  hazard  the  expense  where  the  gain 
was  not  certain.  The  great  man  of  his  age  then 
disappears  altogether  from  view,  and  is  seen  again 
when  emerging  from  the  darkness  of  the  cloud 
that  overshadowed  him. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FIRST   ARRIVAL   OF   COLUMBUS    IN   SPAIN. 

THE  southern  boundary  of  Portugal  is  a 
coast-line,  extending  about  two  degrees  to 
the  eastward  of  Cape  St.  Vincent.  The  coast 
then  inclines  to  the  South-east,  towards  the  Straits 
of  Gibraltar;  Cadiz  being  distant  about  sixty 
miles,  on  what,  in  the  maps,  is  the  obtuse  angle 
thus  formed.  Twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  from 
the  Portuguese  boundary,  there  is  a  small  sea 
port,  Palos  de  Moguer,  in  Andalusia,  inhabited,  at 
the  time  to  which  we  now  refer,  chiefly  by  a  fish 
ing,  and  so  far  a  maritime  population.  A  short 
distance  from  Palos,  on  a  solitary  height  overlook 
ing  the  sea-coast,  there  stood  (and  still  stands)  an 
ancient  Franciscan  convent,  dedicated  to  Santa 

56 


FIRST   ARRIVAL   IN  SPAIN.  57 

Maria  de  Rabida.  In  those  days  and  countries, 
the  distribution  of  alms  at  the  gate  of  convents 
was  a  regular  practice.  Whether  this  was  the 
best  way  of  supplying  the  wants  of  the  poor,  ac 
cording  to  the  principles  of  a  correct  political 
economy,  is  a  question  with  which  we  have  here 
nothing  to  do.  It  might  be  an  erroneous  pro 
ceeding,  and  connected  with  errors  in  religious 
doctrine,  but  it  was  designed  to  be  an  expression 
of  Christian  compassion.  If,  sometimes,  the  idle 
and  dishonest  shared  in  the  bounty  which  was 
neither  provided  nor  intended  for  them,  so  that 
sloth  and  a  dependent  mendicancy  were  encour 
aged,  still,  on  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  honest 
poor  received  needed  assistance,  and  the  blessings 
of  many  that  were  ready  to  perish  came  upon 
these  distributors,  whose  meaning  was  good, 
whether  the  practice  was  wise  or  not. 

One  day,  towards  the  latter  end  of  the  year 
1485,  a  stranger,  evidently  a  foreigner,  meanly 
clad,  but  of  superior  manners ;  on  foot,  accompan 
ied  by  a  young  boy,  applied  at  the  gate  of  the 


58  COLUMBUS. 

convent  for  alms  to  assist  him  on  his  journey.  It 
was  Christopher  Columbus  with  his  son  Diego,  so 
reduced  as  to  be  obliged  to  seek  eleemosynary  aid. 
He  was  on  his  way  to  Huelvos,  to  seek  there  a 
brother  of  his  deceased  wife.  His  circumstances 
were  now  at  the  lowest  ebb ;  but  from  this  mo 
ment  the  tide  turned,  though  for  some  time  the 
advance  of  the  waters  seemed  imperceptible. 
While  receiving  from  the  porter  the  humble  re 
freshment  of  a  little  bread  and  water,  the  guardian 
of  the  convent,  Friar  Juan  Perez  de  Marchena, 
happened  to  pass  by,  and,  struck  with  the  appear 
ance  of  the  stranger,  entered  into  conversation 
with  him.  The  friar  was  an  intelligent  man,  and 
had  addicted  himself  to  geographical  and  nautical 
studies.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  Co 
lumbus  stated  his  convictions,  as  well  as  the  plans 
he  had  formed  in  his  own  mind.  So  impressed 
was  he  with  the  grandeur  of  the  views  which  were 
opened  before  him,  that  he  invited  the  friendless, 
and  now  almost  hopeless  stranger  to  become  his 
guest.  He  likewise  sent  for  one  of  his  scientific 


FIRST   ARRIVAL   IN    SPAIN.  59 

friends,  Garria  Fernandez,  a  physician  of  Palos, 
to  join  in  the  conversations  in  which  he  already 
felt  so  deep  an  interest. 

It  would  be  a  noble  picture,  which  should  rep 
resent  these  three  persons  sitting  together  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  convent :  Columbus,  with  the 
earnestness  of  one  who  believed  himself,  and  with 
the  seriousness  of  one  who  saw  inwardly  a  pros 
pect  before  him  of  such  extent  and  magnificence, 
yet  with  that  mixture  of  despondency  which  so 
many  disappointments,  together  with  his  own  in 
creasing  years,  could  not  but  have  produced ;  yet 
seizing  on  the  present  unexpected  opportunity, 
which  might  be  his  last,  of  impressing  his  own 
convictions  on  the  minds  of  others.  His  new 
friends  listening  with  attention,  with  admiration, 
and  gradually  perceiving  that  the  project,  splen 
did  as  it  was,  and  beyond  the  limits  of  present 
experience,  was  yet  capable  of  realization,  they 
were  both  convinced,  and  became,  from  that  mo 
ment,  his  humble  but  indefatigable  coadjutors. 
The  three  might  almost  be  termed  the  first  com- 


60  COLUMBUS. 

mittee  for  the  discovery  of  lands  beyond  the 
western  Atlantic.  They  were  not  content  with 
theory.  They  inquired  into  fact.  They  called 
before  them  the  hardy  veterans  of  the  fishing-port, 
from  whom  they  learned  various  circumstances ; 
an  explanation  of  which  seemed  to  require  the 
existence  of  inhabited  countries  to  the  west. 
Soon  the  committee  added  an  important  member 
to  its  numbers.  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  residing 
at  Palos,  the  head  of  a  family  of  rich  and  enter 
prising  navigators,  and  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
sea-captains  of  the  day.  After  listening  to  the 
details  of  the  plan  of  Columbus,  he  became  so 
thoroughly  his  disciple,  that  he  not  only  offered 
to  share  in  the  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  but 
in  the  undertaking  itself. 

And  very  important  was  the  issue  of  their  nu 
merous  conversations.  The  friar  earnestly  recom 
mended  Columbus  to  repair  to  the  court  of  the 
Spanish  sovereigns,  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and 
to  lay  his  plans  before  them.  Without  their  pat 
ronage  and  aid  it  was  felt  that  a  voyage,  promis- 


FIRST   ARRIVAL  IN  SPAIN.  61 

ing  such  noble  issues,  but  in  many  respects  so 
mysterious  and  so  perilous,  could  not  be  under 
taken.  Pinzon  engaged  to  furnish  money  for  the 
journey  to  court;  and  the  friar,  promising  to 
take  care  of  young  Diego  during  the  absence  of 
his  father,  and  to  attend  to  his  education,  offered 
him  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  a  friend  of  his 
own,  Fernando  de  Talavera,  prior  of  the  convent 
of  Prado,  and  confessor  to  the  queen.  Through 
his  influence,  which  the  letter  earnestly  besought, 
it  was  thought  that  access  to  the  royal  personages 
might  be  secured. 

On  what  apparently  trifling  circumstances  do 
great  events  sometimes  depend !  Occurrences 
seemingly  so  casual,  that,  in  describing  them,  the 
customary  phrase,  happened,  is  almost  naturally 
employed,  eventually  prove  to  be  the  first  steps  in 
a  progress  which  strikes  nations  with  astonish 
ment,  and  gives  a  new  direction  to  the  history  of 
the  world.  He  who  had  never  seen  the  rising 
sun,  could  he,  from  the  most  equivocal  diminution 
of  darkness  in  the  earliest  dawn,  anticipate  the 


62  COLUMBUS. 

full  brightness  of  day  ?  He  who  had  never  seen 
the  spreading  oak,  nor  reflected  on  the  powers  of 
germination  in  the  seed,  could  he  from  the  first 
visible  acorn-shoots  anticipate  the  full-grown  tree, 
trunk,  branches,  and  leaves  ?  It  is  not  for  us  to 
condemn  the  day  of  small  and  feeble  things.  The 
Creator  and  Lord  of  all  does  not  despise  them. 
The  gradual  development  of  small  beginnings 
into  vast  results  is  a  leading  characteristic  of  the 
administration  of  the  Almighty,  who  hath  set  His 
throne  in  the  heavens,  and  whose  kingdom  ruleth 
over  all.  A  poor  and  friendless  traveller,  with 
his  young  child,  applies  at  a  convent-gate  for  a 
little  bread  and  water;  and  while  partaking  of 
this  simple  meal,  one  of  the  superiors  of  the  es 
tablishment  thus  kindly  aiding-  the  wayfarers 
happens  to  come  by,  happens  to  be  struck  with 
the  appearance  of  the  mendicant,  happens  to  enter 
into  conversation  with  him !  And  he,  concerning 
whose  conduct  all  these  "happens"  have  to  be 
said,  likewise  happened  to  be  the  man  whose  pre 
vious  studies  had  prepared  him  for  the  conversa- 


FIRST  ARRIVAL    IN   SPAIN. 

tion,  happened  to  be  the  man  whose  recommen 
dation  to  an  influential  friend  was  to  be  the 
means  of  securing  the  attention  of  royalty ! 
Ceaseless  is  the  reign  of  God,  and  "  all  things 
serve  His  sovereign  will."  His  "never-failing 
providence  ordereth  all  things  in  heaven  and 
earth."  Fitting  is  it,  therefore,  that  we  trust  in 
Him  and  do  good,  even  though  He  permit  us 
for  a  time  to  walk  in  darkness  and  have  no  light. 
Every  encouragement  have  we  that  our  unbeliev 
ing  hearts  can  require  to  "  cast  all  our  care  upon 
God,  who  careth  for  us." 

"  Commit  thou  all  thy  griefs 

And  ways  into  His  hands, 
To  His  sure  truth  and  tender  care, 

Who  heaven  and  earth  commands. 

Who  points  the  clouds  their  course, 

Whom  winds  and  seas  obey, 
He  shall  direct  thy  wandering  feet, 

He  shall  prepare  thy  way. 

Leave  to  His  sovereign  sway 

To  choose  and  to  command ; 
So  shalt  thou,  wondering,  own  His  way, 

How  wise,  how  strong  His  hand. 


64  COLUMBUS. 

Far,  far  above  thy  thought 

His  counsel  shall  appear, 
When  fully  He  the  work  hath  wrought 

That  caused  thy  needless  fear!" 

Hope  had  once  more  visited  the  mind  of 
Columbus ;  and,  cheered  by  the  kindness  of  his 
new  friends,  as  well  as  encouraged  by  their  sup 
port,  in  the  spring  of  1486  he  left  the  hospitable 
convent  of  Palos  to  solicit  the  monarchs  of  Spain 
to  add  a  new  world  to  their  dominions. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FERDINAND    AND   ISABELLA. 

FERDINAND  and  Isabella  were  now  fully 
engaged  in  their  plans  for  removing  from 
Spain  the  last  vestiges  of  the  Mohammedan  dom 
ination.  And  while  they  relaxed  in  neither 
effort  nor  preparation,  they  were  buoyant  in  the 
prospect  of  rapidly  approaching  and  final  success. 
They  had  not  long  before  fixed  their  court  at 
Cordova,  that  they  might  be  nearer  to  Granada, 
the  conquest  of  which  they  now  believed  to  be 
certain.  King  and  Queen  of  Castile  and  Ara- 
gon,  if  Granada  were  conquered,  for  the  first  time 
since  the  days  of  Roderic  the  Goth,  all  Spain 
would  be  the  undivided  heritage  of  their  succes 
sor.  Ferdinand  was,  in  many  respects,  much 

65 


66  COLUMBUS. 

like  Henry  VII.  Prudent  to  craftiness,  ever- 
mindful  of  his  own  interests,  and  easily  accessible 
when  these  were  likely  to  be  promoted  ;  atten 
tive  to  business,  and  bigoted  in  religion,  —  his 
character  in  its  several  aspects,  has  been  ably, 
and  with  great  brevit}r,  given  by  Washington 
Irving :  "  He  was  called  the  wise  and  prudent  in 
Spain ;  in  Italy,  the  pious ;  in  France  and  Eng 
land,  the  ambitious  and  the  perfidious." 

The  character  of  Isabella  was  different.  She 
was  beautiful  and  dignified  in  her  person  and 
manners,  pious,  richly  endowed  in  mind,  and 
regarded  her  husband  with  strong  affection.  In 
his  general  policy  she  agreed  with  him ;  but  her 
views  were  more  lofty,  and  her  desire  was 
stronger  for  the  improvement  and  well-being  of 
her  subjects.  Her  prudence  was  without  craft, 
and  her  ambition  unselfish.  Literature  and  the 
arts  she  patronized ;  and,  as  she  was  able,  wil 
lingly  employed  her  power  for  the  promotion  of 
knowledge.  Few  female  sovereigns  have  ever 
exhibited  a  character  of  more  complete  loveliness, 


PBEDINAND  AND   ISABELLA.  67 

or  left  for  the  recording  pen  of  history  more 
decided  proofs  of  a  desire,  wise,  strong,  and 
unfailing,  for  the  welfare  of  her  subjects,  than 
the  royal  Isabella  of  Castile.  The  good  she  did 
was  from  herself,  springing  from  her  genuine 
benevolence.  The  mischief  resulting  from  some 
of  her  proceedings  was  occasioned  either  by  the 
mistakes  of  the  age,  or  by  the  sad  errors  of  her 
creed. 

The  period  of  the  appearance  of  Columbus  at 
the  court  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  was  not 
favorable  to  his  immediate  success.  The  city 
was  all  alive  with  the  bustle  of  military  prepar 
ation.  Spain  was  on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation  ; 
and  the  prospect  of  early  success  made  every 
Spaniard  anxious  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of 
the  sovereigns,  and  to  hasten  to  join  their  stan 
dard.  Cordova  resembled  a  splendid  camp. 
One  subject  engrossed  all  classes.  All  were  wait 
ing  for  the  opening  of  the  campaign  which  was, 
it  was  hoped,  to  free  the  Spanish  soil  from  the 
footsteps  of  the  infidel  invaders.  The  war  was 


68  COLUMBUS. 

a  species  of  crusade,  and  even  ecclesiastics  be 
lieved  it  to  be  their  duty  to  engage  in  it.  Tala- 
vera  was  one  of  the  clerical  advisors  of  the  queen, 
and  was  so  occupied  with  these  public  duties 
that  he  had  no  leisure  to  attend  to  the  applica 
tions  of  Columbus,  or  could  give  them  only  that 
superficial  regard  in  which  they  would  seem  alto 
gether  visionary.  Foreign  discovery  was,  indeed, 
an  exciting  subject ;  but  such  was  the  character 
of  the  discoveries  proposed  by  Columbus,  that 
they  required  the  close  examination  of  principles, 
and  attention  to  recondite  arguments. 

Ferdinand  himself  headed  the  forces  he  had 
collected ;  and  Isabella  was  not  only  deeply 
interested  in  all  his  movements,  but  during  a  part 
of  the  time  she  was  present  in  the  camp.  Colum 
bus,  therefore,  was  still  called  to  the  exercise  of 
patience.  It  was  one  of  the  qualities  of  his  great 
mind  that  he  knew  how  to  persevere  and  wait, 
where  all  might  be  ruined  by  undue  haste.  He 
saw  that  the  proper  opportunity  had  not  yet 
arrived;  and,  therefore,  during  the  summer  and 


THE    CARAVEL    OF    COLUMBUS. 

(Facsimile  of  a  "Wood  Engraving  of  1493,  on  a  design  by  Columbus  himself.) 


FERDINAND  AND  ISABELLA.  71 

autumn  of  1486  he  remained  at  Cordova,  doing 
what  he  could,  as  to  do  what  he  would  was  not 
jet  in  his  power.  His  few  wants  he  endeavored 
to  supply  by  making  maps  and  charts. 

Now  that  he  thought  himself  to  be  on  the  eve 
of  success,  it  pleased  Providence  that  he  should 
be  severely  tried  by  discouraging  circumstances. 
He  was  a  stranger,  and  he  was  poor.  For  both 
reasons  he  found  it  difficult  to  gain  access  to 
those  whom  he  wished  to  number  among  his 
converts.  Few  had  the  knowledge  necessary  to 
understand  the  principles  on  which  his  scheme 
was  based.  Among  such  a  society  as  Cordova 
saw  gathered  within  its  walls,  there  would  be 
many  who  would  be  likely  to  turn  into  ridicule 
the  plans  of  one  whom  they  would  be  only  too 
ready  to  regard  as  a  wandering  adventurer. 
Nor  was  he  even  permitted  to  remain  unknown. 
He  obtained  the  reputation  with  some  of  being 
a  dreaming  enthusiast,  and  with  others  of  being 
a  madman ;  the  very  children  laughed  at  him  as 
he  passed  along  the  streets.  Severer  moral  dis- 


72  COLUMBUS. 

cipline  scarcely  ever  man  passed  through ;  but 
he  was  strong  in  personal  conviction,  and  lived 
in  the  serenity  of  an  entire  self-possession.  He 
exemplified,  even  in  reference  to  his  human  con 
fidence,  the  operations  of  a  loftier  faith;  he 
believed,  and  he  did  not  make  haste.  He  would 
have  been  more  than  man  had  he  not  felt  the 
shafts  of  ridicule  ;  but  he  was  unmoved  by  them. 
Hitherto  his  reputation  had  been  unshaded ; 
but  one  circumstance  occurred  at  Cordova,  to 
say  the  least,  questionable  in  its  character.  A 
mutual  attachment  was  formed  between  himself 
and  Doua  Beatriz  Enriquez,  a  lady  of  a  noble 
family  in  the  city.  The  attachment  had  not  the 
sanction  of  a  formal  and  public  marriage ;  but 
the  doctrines  of  the  ecclesiastical  canonists 
allowed  of  binding  contracts  of  marriage,  and 
marriages  private  and  irregular,  but  still  valid. 
Whether  the  engagement  had  this  inferior  con 
firmation  is  not  known ;  but  he  himself  always 
treated  Fernando,  his  son  by  this  lady,  in  the 


FERDINAND  AND  ISABELLA.  73 

same  way  that  he  treated  Diego,  his  son  by  his 
former  wife. 

The  perseverance  of  Columbus  at  length 
obtained  its  reward.  Such  was  the  power  of 
his  address,  that  when  once  he  could  obtain  an 
attentive  hearer,  he  seldom  failed  to  secure  a 
convert.  His  patient  perseverance  itself  began 
to  outlive  ridicule,  and  to  win  success.  Grad 
ually  an  impression  was  made  which  slowly 
spread,  that  perhaps,  after  all,  he  was  in  the 
right.  He  might  be  called  a  visionary  by  those 
who  knew  him  not ;  but  those  who  had  inter 
course  with  him  could  not  but  acknowledge  that 
his  views  were  rational.  The  spreading  of  the 
light  had  commenced,  and  its  progress  was  now 
rapid.  The  controller  of  the  finances  of  Cas 
tile,  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla,  listened  to  him, 
became  a  warm  advocate  of  his  plans,  and  re 
ceived  him  as  his  guest.  He  was  allowed  to  lay 
his  plans  before  Antonio  Giraldini,  the  papal 
nuncio ;  and  he,  together  with  his  brother, 
Alexander  Giraldini,  preceptor  to  the  younger 


74  COLUMBUS. 

children  of  the  king  and  queen,  became  his  con 
verts.  He  was  by  them  enabled  to  take  what, 
visibly,  was  the  most  important  step  of  all. 
They  introduced  him  to  the  Archbishop  of 
Toledo,  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain,  Pedro  Gonzalez 
de  Mendoza,  who,  from  his  influence  with  Fer 
dinand  and  Isabella,  was  sometimes  called  "the 
third  King  of  Spain."  He  was  a  man  of  a  strong 
and  cultivated  intellect,  penetrating  and  active. 
He  listened  to  the  plans  of  Columbus,  examined 
the  arguments  by  which  they  were  supported, 
and,  yielding  to  conviction,  saw  at  once  that,  if 
they  were  indeed  well-founded,  their  importance 
was  incalculable.  He  felt  that  an  opportunity 
of  acquiring  unheard-of  renown,  if  not  wealth 
and  empire,  was  brought  within  the  reach  of  his 
sovereigns,  and  that  it  ought  not  to  be  rejected. 

At  length,  therefore,  Columbus  obtained  what 
he  had  so  anxiously  sought,  a  promise,  on  which 
he  knew  he  could  rely,  of  an  audience  with  the 
royal  personages  who  governed  Spain.  He  be 
lieved  that  in  this  he  was  able  to  offer  them  what 


FERDINAND   AND   ISABELLA.  75 

was  of  greater  value  than  the  present  object  of 
their  most   ardent   desires.     What   was    a   small 
tract  of  land  in   southern    Spain  to  the  Indies,  a 
new  and  shorter  route  to  which  he   promised  to 
show   them,    and   to   those    as   yet    undiscovered 
countries  in  the  parts  of  the  world   unknown  to 
Europeans,    on   which   he     might,    if    permitted, 
plant  the  Spanish   standard?     Deep,  if  not  some 
what  superstitious,  was  the  reverence  with  which 
sovereigns  were,  in  those  times,  and  especially  in 
that    country   regarded ;    but    Columbus   had   so 
long  meditated  on  the  discovery  of  a  new  world, 
and  the  completion  of  the,  as  yet,  imperfect  map 
of  the  globe,  that  his  own  mind  seemed  to  have 
dilated  to  the  measure    of  his  vast   conceptions. 
Feeling  the  true  greatness  of  human  nature,  he 
felt  that  he  could  stand  erect  before  kings,  and 
present   them    the   worthiest    homage    they   can 
receive ;  not   the  servile  adulation  of  the  courtier 
and  the  slave,  but  the  dignified  respect  of   the 
free  man.     He  was  admitted  to  the  audience,  in 
which  all  his  anxieties  were  for  his  cause,  none 


76  COLUMBUS. 

for  himself.  In  after  days,  speaking  of  this  event, 
he  said  that  he  felt  assistance  from  above,  as  an 
instrument  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  designs 
of  Providence.  By  the  interview  Ferdinand 
was  deeply  impressed.  He  sufficiently  under 
stood  human  nature  to  perceive  that  no  enthu 
siastic  adventurer  stood  in  his  presence.  He  saw, 
also,  that  the  arguments  adduced  by  Columbus 
were  more  than  plausible;  that  they  had  the 
strongest  appearance  of  truth.  And  the  idea 
of  their  possible  truth  being  once  admitted,  his 
was  precisely  the  mind  to  perceive  its  inestimable 
value.  What  were  the  discoveries  which  had 
shed  such  lustre  on  the  crown  of  Portugal  to 
those  which  might  now  be  secured  for  Spain  ? 

But  Ferdinand  was  cautious.  He  gave  orders 
to  Fernando  de  Talavera  —  to  whom  Columbus 
had  at  first  been  recommended,  but  from  whom 
he  only  learned,  and  had  yet  to  learn  still  more 
painfully,  the  vanity  of  human  expectations  —  to 
assemble  the  learned  geographers  and  astronomers 
of  the  kingdom.  Before  these  Columbus  was  to 


FERDINAND   AND   ISABELLA.  77 

repeat  his  statements  and  reasonings,  and  they, 
having  carefully  examined  the  whole  case,  were 
to  present  their  report  upon  it.  As  he  was 
not  to  appear  before  ignorant  and  flippant  cour 
tiers  but  before  grave  and  learned  men,  inter 
ested,  in  the  glories  of  science,  as  well  as  in  the 
honor  of  the  sovereigns  and  their  kingdom,  what 
was  he  to  anticipate  from  their  report  but  support 
and  encouragement  ?  Alas !  again  was  he  to 
experience  disappointment;  again  was  his  loyalty 
to  his  own  solemn  convictions  of  truth  to  be  put 
to  a  test,  which,  as  contrasted  with  the  almost 
sanguine  hopes  he  had  thought  himself  justified 
in  cherishing,  would  be  felt  by  him  as  the  severest 
of  all. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

COLUMBUS   SEEKS   SPANISH   ASSISTANCE. 

THE  council  of  inquiry  into  the  theory  and 
proposals  of  Columbus  was  appointed  to  be 
held  at  Salamanca,  at  that  time  considered  as  the 
principal  seat  of  learning  in  Spain.  The  board 
was  composed  of  some  of  the  most  learned  men 
in  the  kingdom,  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  But  the 
low  state  of  science  will  be  remembered,  and  its 
dependence  rather  on  artificial  reasonings  than  on 
the  laws  of  truth,  as  ascertained  by  patient  in 
quiry  into  fact.  Hypothetical  theories  had  not 
yet  been  dethroned  by  the  "New  Organ"  of 
philosophising  to  which,  in  a  subsequent  age, 
attention  was  directed  by  Bacon.  Partisanship  in 
science  was  then  as  powerful  and  violent  as  now 
it  is  in  politics.  If  Columbus  was  disappointed 
in  the  result  of  their  deliberations,  the  account  of 

78 


COLUMBUS   SEEKS  SPANISH  ASSISTANCE.       79 

it  will  now  occasion  no  surprise.  Few  came  to 
the  conference  without  prepossessions ;  many 
were  strongly  influenced  by  prejudice.  Columbus 
stood  alone  in  the  comprehensiveness  of  his  views. 
Of  his  judges,  perhaps  all  were  narrow-minded, 
most  of  them  bigoted.  Talavera,  too,  by  whom 
they  had  been  convened,  had  at  an  earlier  period 
neglected  Columbus,  and  justified  his  neglect  by 
the  unqualified  condemnation  of  the  theory  sub 
mitted  to  him  ;  and  many  others  felt  their  pride 
rebuked,  that  an  obscure  mariner  should  pretend 
to  know  what  their  penetration  had  not  discovered. 
But  Columbus  knew  too  little  of  this  to  be  dis 
mayed  by  it;  or,  if  it  were  suspected,  he  felt 
strong  in  the  truth  of  his  cause. 

But  he  soon  perceived  the  intrenchments  which 
he  must  carry  before  he  won  the  day.  He  was 
met  by  questions  and  objections  which  demon 
strated  that  among  his  hearers  there  was  no 
reigning  love  of  truth  for  its  own  sake.  Some 
actually  denied  the  possibility  of  any  inhabitants 
at  the  antipodes,  as  men  could  not  live  with  their 


80  COLUMBUS. 

heads  downwards  !  Some  said  that  the  plan  was 
impracticable,  because  too  much  time  would  be 
required  to  sail  such  a  distance  as  they  supposed 
to  exist ;  and  others,  that  the  heat  of  the  torrid 
zone  rendered  it  uninhabitable.  Religion,  too, 
was  introduced.  All  men,  it  was  said,  were 
descended  from  Adam,  and  therefore  to  suppose 
inhabitants  where  Adam's  children  could  never 
have  travelled  was  to  contradict  the  Bible  !  All 
the  arguments  were  of  this  nature.  They  partly 
arose,  indeed,  from  imperfect  information,  and 
this  was  excusable  ;  but  they  were  urged  with  an 
obstinacy  totally  inconsistent  with  allegiance  to 
truth.  The  theory  of  Columbus  did  not  originate 
in  speculative  hypotheses.  It  was  theory  in  the 
legitimate  sense  of  the  term.  Established  prin 
ciples  were  adduced,  facts  were  collected,  and 
the  theory  was  the  result  of  an  induction  more 
practically  correct  than  any  of  the  instances  laid 
down  even  by  Bacon,  in  connection  with  his 
"  Novum  Organum."  Had  the  principle  of  Bacon 
been  as  unsound  as  some  of  his  illustrative  in- 


COLUMBUS    SEEKS    SPANISH   ASSISTANCE.      81 

stances,  —  as  his  "  Inquiry  into  the  Nature  of 
Heat,"  —  the  inductive  philosophy  would  never 
have  removed  science  from  the  rule  of  the  Aristo 
telian  logic. 

The  fault  of  these  learned  men  consisted  in 
their  selfish  obstinacy.  With  admirable  patience, 
Columbus  submitted  to  all  their  interrogatories, 
listened  to  all  their  objections  ;  answered  the  first, 
and  refuted  the  last.  His  reply  to  their  arguments 
from  Scripture  was  triumphant.  •  He  laid  by  his 
maps  and  charts,  and  descanted  on  the  texts  which 
promised  such  a  glorious  extension  to  the  Church. 
He  spoke,  with  the  zeal  of  an  enlightened  mis 
sionary,  of  the  ends  of  the  earth  being  commanded 
to  look  unto  God,  that  they  might  be  saved,  and 
of  the  Divine  name  being  great  from  the  rising 
to  the  setting  sun.  His  imagination  glowed  with 
the  predicted  prosperity  of  Zion,  —  predictions, 
the  accomplishment  of  which  such  objections  as 
he  had  heard  would  completely  prevent,  were  they 
always  to  be  adopted.  Some  of  his  hearers  were 
convinced,  and  among  them  a  learned  professor  of 


82  COLUMBUS. 

theology  at  Salamanca,  Diego  de  Deza,  who  after 
wards  became  Archbishop  of  Seville.  By  his 
means  some  other  learned  men  were  gained ;  but 
the  bulk  were  immovable.  The  board  held  sev 
eral  consultations  among  themselves,  but  came  to 
no  decision.  At  length,  early  in  the  spring  of 
1487,  Talavera  left  Salamanca  to  join  the  court, 
and  the  council  broke  up,  leaving  the  almost 
worn-out  mariner  in  a  state  of  the  most  painful 
suspense. 

And  in  this  state  he  had  to  spend  several  years. 
He  followed  from  time  to  time,  the  movements 
of  the  court,  and  was  occasionally  flattered  with 
hopes  of  success.  He  still  constructed  maps  and 
charts  for  his  subsistence,  though  he  was  be 
friended  by  Diego  de  Deza,  and  was  also  some 
times  a  guest  with  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla.  He 
was  permitted,  also,  to  attend  the  royal  suite,  and 
small  sums  were  more  than  once  granted  for  the 
purpose  of  defraying  his  expenses.  He  was  be 
come  better  known  and  by  many  he  was  much 
respected;  so  that  his  circumstances  were  very 


COLUMBUS   SEEKS   SPANISH  %  ASSISTANCE.       83 

different  from  those  in  which  he  stood  as  a  men 
dicant  at  the  gate  of  the  convent  of  Palos.  At 
length,  in  1491,  he  pressed  for  a  decisive  reply ; 
but  the  aspect  of  affairs  was  unfavorable.  The 
war  was  not  yet  concluded,  though  the  sovereigns 
were  preparing  for  what  proved  to  be  the  final 
campaign.  The  council  were  now  ordered  to 
meet,  and  give  their  ultimate  report.  They  did 
so  ;  and  Talavera,  in  their  name,  condemned  the 
scheme  as  impracticable,  and  one  unworthy  the 
attention  of  the  sovereigns,  considering  the  weak 
ness  of  the  grounds  on  which  it  was  professedly 
supported.  In  communicating  this  result,  how 
ever,  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  informed  Columbus 
that  they  did  not  finally  reject  his  offer  ;  but  that, 
though  the  expenses  of  the  war  forbade  them  to 
•engage  for  the  present  in  any  new  enterprises,  at 
its  conclusion  they  would  have  leisure  to  re 
consider  the  subject.  He  now  gave  up  all  hope 
of  obtaining  royal  patronage,  and  left  the  court. 

.  Thus  closed  the  year  1491,  and  with  it,  for  that 
time,  his  dependence  on  the  sovereigns  of  Spain. 


84  COLUMBUS. 

But  whither  was  he  to  go  ?  His  convictions  had 
gathered  strength  by  investigation.  More  firmly 
than  ever  did  he  believe  in  the  existence  of  un 
discovered  regions ;  and  more  resolved  than  ever 
was  he  to  be,  if  possible,  their  discoverer.  He 
therefore  looked  round  for  patronage.  He  had 
favorable  information  from  England  and  from 
France,  and  the  King  of  Portugal  had  requested 
him  to  return.  But  he  had  now  domestic  ties 
again  in  Spain,  and  he  directed  his  attention  to 
some  of  the  nobles  of  the  country.  The  Duke  of 
Medina-Sidonia  listened  to  him,  but  thought  his 
views  were  too  splendid  to  be  true.  With  the 
Duke  of  Medina-Celi  he  was  for  a  time  more  suc 
cessful.  So  strongly  was  he  impressed  with  the 
representations  that  were  made  to  him,  that  he  at 
length  consented  to  employ  a  portion  of  his  great 
wealth,  together  with  three  or  four  vessels  that  he 
had  ready  for  sea  in  Port  St.  Mary,  situated  on 
one  of  his  estates.  Before  he  had  finally  decided, 
however,  he  remembered  that  the  patronage  he 
was  about  to  accord  had  been  refused  by  the 


COLUMBUS    SEEKS   SPANISH    ASSISTANCE.        85 

court.  Fearing  to  excite  the  royal  jealousy,  he 
withdrew  his  partially -given  consent,  and  again 
was  Columbus  disappointed.  He  now  resolved 
upon  quitting  Spain,  and  repairing  to  Paris.  For 
this  purpose  he  returned  to  the  convent  at  Palos, 
to  remove  his  son  Diego,  whom  he  intended  to 
take  to  Cordova,  leaving  him  there  with  his  other 
son,  of  course  under  the  care  of  Dona  Beatriz 
Enriquez,  a  circumstance  that  justifies  the  hope  — 
a  very  natural  one  to  all  who  understand  the  can 
onical  law  on  the  subject  of  marriage  —  that  the 
connection  was  not  an  illegal  one.  As  the  law 
then  was,  a  marriage  might  be  formally  irregular 
in  the  judgment  of  the  church,  which  yet  was  so 
far  valid  in  the  judgment  of  law,  as  that  it  would 
have  absolutely  prevented  every  other  engage 
ment,  on  the  ground  of  pre-contract,  although  the 
issue  would  not  be  regarded  as  legitimate. 

Columbus  returned  to  Palos  apparently  with 
fewer  hopes  of  success  than  those  with  which  he 
had  left  it  for  Cordova,  in  the  spring  of  1486  ;  and 
already  had  the  year  1492,  the  most  memorable  in 


86  COLUMBUS. 

the  history  of  his  own  life,  and  ever  memorable  in 
the  history  of  the  world,  opened  upon  him.     No 
more  faithful  friend  had  he  than  the  friar,  Juan 
Perez  de  Marchena,  who  had  at  first  noticed  him 
at  his  meal  of  bread  and  water,  the  provision  of 
Christian   charity.     Six   years   had   elapsed.     Co 
lumbus  had  submitted  his  plans  to  royalty,  and 
had  argued   them  with  the  learned.     All   seemed 
to  be  in  vain.     He  had  returned  whence  he  set 
out,  for  the  purpose  o£  making  his  final  arrange 
ments,  and  offering  to  another  country  the  glories 
and   advantages  which   Spain   appeared   to   have 
rejected.     The  patriotism  of   the  good  friar  was 
alarmed.     To  him,  the  plans  of  Columbus  had  be 
come  an   incontrovertible   fact,  and  he  could  not 
bear  to  think  that  his  own  country  should  lose  the 
whole  of  what  he  deemed  to  be  the  certain  glory 
and  advantage.     He  persuaded  Columbus  to  delay 
yet  a  little  longer,  while  he  himself  would  make  a 
final  effort.     Isabella  he  knew,  as  he  had  been  her 
confessor;   and   he   believed    that   if  the    subject 
were  laid  before  her,  fully  and  seriously,  it  would 


COLUMBUS   SEEKS   SPANISH  ASSISTANCE.       87 

receive  her  approbation.  He  wrote  to  her,  there 
fore,  earnestly  imploring  her  to  permit  Columbus 
to  detail  his  projects  in  her  own  presence,  calling 
her  attention,  not  only  to  the  additional  honor 
that  would  result  from  adding  countries  not  yet 
discovered  to  the  empire  of  Spain,  now  for  the 
first  time,  by  the  conquest  of  the  Moors,  restored, 
after  ages  of  divided  rule,  to  its  original  integrity ; 
but  likewise  to  that  which  would  rest  upon  the 
Church,  by  its  extension  among  multitudes  of 
pagans. 

Sebastian  Rodriguez,  a  pilot,  residing  in  the 
neighborhood,  was  chosen  to  be  the  bearer  of  this 
letter  to  the  queen.  So  faithfully  did  he  acquit 
himself,  that  in  fourteen  days  he  returned  with  an 
order  for  the  good  friar  to  repair  immediately  to 
the  court,  and  represent  to  her  the  case,  while 
Columbus  himself  was  to  continue  at  the  convent- 
till  further  intelligence  was  received. 

For  the  honor  of  Spain,  the  tide  of  affairs  had 
not  turned  too  soon.  Bartolomeo  Columbus 
had  sailed  for  England,  to  lay  his  brother's  pro- 


88  COLUMBUS. 

jects  before  Henry  VII. ;  but  fell  in  with  pirates 
on  his  passage,  who  robbed  him  of  all  that  he  pos 
sessed,  so  that  he  arrived  in  England  in  a  state  of 
complete  poverty,  and  for  some  time  lived  in  ob 
scurity,  earning  a  scanty  livelihood,  as  Christo 
pher  had  done,  by  constructing  maps  and  charts 
for  the  use  of  navigators.  In  1489  he  presented  a 
map  of  the  world  to  the  king ;  and,  though  he  had 
to  pass  through  a  long  ordeal  of  contempt  and 
neglect,  ultimately  so  ingratiated  himself  with  the 
calculating  monarch,  that  he  was  commissioned  to 
invite  his  brother  to  repair  to  London.  But 
Henry  was  too  late.  Columbus  had  sailed  before 
the  tardy  message  arrived  in  Spain. 

The  Friar  Marchena,  on  receiving  the  queen's 
letter  from  Santa  Fe,  lost  no  time  in  obeying  it. 
He  soon  obtained  admission  to  Isabella,  and  stated 
the  views  of  Columbus  with  such  earnestness, 
that  she  at  once  ordered  his  attendance,  that  she 
might  judge  of  his  plans  after  hearing  them  more 
particularly  described  by  his  own  lips.  And, 
with  provident  generosity,  she  directed  that  a 


COLUMBUS   SEEKS   SPANISH    ASSISTANCE.       89 

sum  of  money  should  be  sent  to  him  to  defray 
his  necessary  expenses.  He  arrived  at  the  city 
camp  (for  such  was  Santa  F£)  in  time  to  witness 
the  close  of  Moorish  dominion  in  Spain  in  the  sur 
render  of  Granada.  From  the  Alhambra,  Boab- 
dil  el  Chico,  the  last  of  the  Mohammedan  mon- 
archs,  mournfully  proceeded  to  deliver  up  the 
keys  of  the  city  to  Ferdinand  and  his  consort, 
now  the  rulers  of  entire  Spain.  Never  had  such  a 
triumph  been  known  in  the  kingdom.  From  the 
monarchs  to  their  lowest  subject,  the  w^hole  mul 
titude  was  moved  by  the  enthusiasm  of  patriot 
ism  and  religion.  And  Columbus  was  present. 
It  is  said  that  he  alone  appeared  to  be  unmoved 
by  the  general  impulse.  And  no  wonder.  So 
long  had  he  contemplated  the  idea  of  the  discov 
ery  of  a  new  world,  that  it  had  become,  as  it  were, 
a  portion  of  his  own  being.  Before  his  imagina 
tion,  prospects  arose,  magnificent  even  when  most 
vague  ;  and  a  mind  like  his  could  not  have  dwelt 
so  much  on  it  without  those  occasional  exercises 
of  the  fancy  which  would  disperse  the  clouds,  or 


90  COLUMBUS. 

fill  them  with  the  gorgeous  hues  of  sunset.  And 
to  the  man  who  had  such  illimitable  scenes  before 
him,  what  would  be  one  single  city,  with  what 
ever  splendid  associations  it  might  be  connected? 
The  heart  of  Columbus  was  not  there.  In  the 
midst  of  that  brilliant  throng,  he  was  alone ;  with 
one  grand  conception  he  had  become  familiar,  and 
no  one  shared  it  with  him.  It  was  as  though  all 
his  thoughts  were  embodied  in  words  which  none 
understood  but  himself,  so  that  none  could  hold 
communion  with  him.  All  Spain  was  rejoicing  in 
the  acquisition  of  a  small  slip  of  territory  in  her 
own  borders ;  he  was  persuaded  that  he  could 
open  the  way  to  unknown  empires  beyond  what 
hitherto  had  proved  the  impassable  ocean.  The 
visionary  stood  alone,  his  whole  soul  pervaded  by 
the  conviction  that  his  visions  were  glorious  real 
ities. 

Granada  was  conquered.  The  affair  of  Colum 
bus  was  laid  officially  before  the  monarchs.  Per 
sons  were  appointed  to  negotiate  with  him.  But 
new  difficulties  arose.  Columbus  proposed  two 


COLUMBUS   SEEKS  SPANISH   ASSISTANCE.       91 

principal  conditions :  that  he  should  be  admiral  of 
the  seas,  and  viceroy  of  the  countries  he  should 
discover;  and  that  he  should  have  one-tenth  of 
all  gains.  He  offered  to  defray  an  eighth  part  of 
the  expense,  provided,  also,  that  he  should  have 
additionally,  a  like  share  of  the  profits.  The  first 
stipulation  seems  to  have  been  necessary  both  for 
his  honor  and  power.  Nearly  the  same  privileges 
had  been  granted  by  the  court  of  Lisbon  to  the 
discoverers  of  the  islands  which  had  been  added 
to  their  crown ;  and  there  was  already  an  officer 
in  Spain,  with  the  title  of  Admiral  of  Castile,  the 
office  itself  being  above  a  century  old.  Columbus 
requested  letters-patent  in  similar  form,  confer 
ring  the  same  title  and  office  as  to  the  seas  and 
countries  which  he  might  discover.  And  surely 
one  tenth  of  the  gain,  leaving  nine-tenths  for  the 
sovereign,  whose  would  be  all  the  real  empire 
likewise,  was  not  too  munificent  a  reward.  But 
his  old  opponent,  Ferdinand  de  Talavera,  now 
Archbishop  of  the  new  Spanish  city  of  Granada, 
was  the  principal  person  in  the  commission,  and 


92  COLUMBUS. ' 

his  terms  were  finally  pronounced  inadmissable. 
He  refused  to  make  the  least  concession.  His 
plans  with  him  were  certainties ;  and,  therefore, 
renouncing  all  further  hope  from  Spain,  he  again 
resolved  to  leave  the  country,  and  made  imme 
diate  preparations  for  departure  from  the  court. 

He  had  three  friends,  however,  who  now  fully 
entered  into  his  plans.  This  final  rejection  filled 
them  with  grief,  and  they  resolved  again  to 
appeal  to  Isabella  in  person.  The  hospitable  friar 
of  Rabida  was  one ;  the  other  two,  Alonzo  de 
Quintanilla,  and  Luis  de  St.  Angel,  the  last  a 
skilful  financier,  and  Queen  Isabella's  comptroller. 
They  told  her  that  the  loss  on  failure  would  be 
comparatively  trifling ;  the  gain  of  success  incal 
culable.  They  appealed  to  her  religious  feelings 
and  sense  of  honor.  She  was  so  moved  that  she 
declared  she  would  undertake  the  enterprise  for 
her  own  crown  of  Castile,  and  would,  if  necessary, 
pledge  her  royal  jewels  for  the  expenses.  She 
made  the  decision,  and  became  the  patroness  of 
the  discovery  of  the  new  world. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

PREPARATIONS   FOR   THE  EXPEDITION. 

IN  the  meantime,  the  preparations  of  Columbus 
were  completed,  and  he  had  already  left 
Granada  on  his  way  to  Cordova,  intending  to 
proceed  thence  to  France,  where  he  resolved  to 
renew  his  offers.  He  had  crossed  the  vega  of 
Granada,  and  was  two  leagues  from  the  city, 
when  he  was  overtaken  by  the  courier,  who  had 
been  sent  to  request  his  return.  For  a  short 
time  he  paused.  No  wonder  that  he  hesitated. 
He  might  also  have  seen,  in  this  relentless 
opposition,  reluctantly  yielding  to  the  noble  spirit 
of  Isabella,  the  seeds  whence  bitter  fruit  might 
ultimately  grow.  Still,  so  dear  was  the  object, 
and  so  uncertain  success  elsewhere,  that,  after 
brief  but  natural  hesitation,  and  confiding  in  the 
pledged  word  of  the  Queen,  he  consented  to  re 
trace  his  steps.  93 


94  COLUMBUS. 

Isabella,  having  once  resolved,  entered  into  the 
scheme  with  an  ardent  zeal  which  might  have 
been  expected  from  a  nature  like  hers,  allowing 
itself  steadily  and  fully  to  look  into  a  subject  so 
truly  magnificent  as  that  now  placed  before  her. 
It  related  to  the  discovery  of  a  new  world,  and 
the  extension  of  the  Christian  faith ;  and  now 
that,  at  length,  she  understood  what  this  Genoese 
navigator  proposed,  and  perceived  the  probable 
foundation  on  which  his  plans  rested,  she  saw 
how  much  more  likely  was  success  than  failure  ; 
and  how  bright  and  imperishable  the  glory  which 
success  would  give  to  the  joint  reign  of  herself 
and  husband.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  Columbus 
had  returned  to  Santa  F£,  he  was  called  to  her 
presence,  and  required  to  himself  state  all  his 
opinions  and  wishes,  —  for  this  time,  after  so 
many  tantalizing  delays,  before  a  willing  auditor. 
The  warmth  of  Isabella  was  strongly  contrasted 
with  the  calculating  craftiness  of  Ferdinand  ;  but 
in  her  well  regulated  mind,  warmth  was  real 
power.  She  had  resolved  that  the  requisite  funds 
should  be  supplied  from  her  own  revenues  of 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   THE   EXPEDITION.  95 

Castile.  At  the  same  time,  in  this  instance,  as  in 
every  other  during  her  reign,  she  was  careful 
that  in  public,  and  in  all  official  proceedings,  the 
King  of  Arragon  should  be  associated  with  her. 
All  was  to  be  done  in  the  name  of  "  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella ; "  and  now  that  his  queen  had 
undertaken  to  defray  the  expense,  and  had  even 
taken  upon  herself  the  real  responsibility  of  the 
whole,  the  sagacious  monarch  no  longer  objected 
to  an  enterprise,  in  the  failure  of  which  he  would 
incur  neither  disgrace  nor  loss,  but  from  whose 
success  he  was  sure  to  derive  both  honor  and 
profit.  Columbus  had  now  to  negotiate  with 
officers  who  had  been  directed  to  draw  up  the 
agreements  between  himself  and  the  sovereigns; 
and,  as  Isabella  was  anxious  that  no  time  should 
be  lost,  but  that  the  voyage  should  commence 
before  the  period  of  delay  was  past,  and  the 
heart  of  the  bold  veteran  already  beat  high  in 
the  sure  prospect  of  the  resolution  of  his  doubts. 
He  believed  that  that  resolution  would  be  the 
triumphant  confirmation  of  all  his  anticipations. 


96  COLUMBUS. 

With  a  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the  agents  of 
Ferdinand,  which  would  have  justified  in  Colum 
bus  the  fear  that  when  he  had  to  look  for  the  ful 
filment  of  the  promises  made  to  him  vexatious 
difficulties  would  be  dishonorably  interposed,  the 
documents  which  he  required  were  at  length 
signed.*  By  this  instrument  it  was  agreed:  — 

1.  Columbus  and  his  heirs  to  be  the  King's 
admirals  in  all  the  parts  discovered  by  him  "  dur 
ing  his  natural  life,"  "  with  all  the  pre-eminences 
and  prerogatives  which  belong  to  the  said  office, 
in  the  same  manner  as  possessed  by  Don  Alfonso 

*In  the  Middle  Ages  the  Spaniards,  to  distinguish  them- 

p  selves  from  the  Moors  and  Jews, 

^^       A       „<:£  then  so  numerous  in  Spain,  placed 

«X   A\     y          /       before  their  names  the  initiate  of  a 

-r--n  r-7M  ^    /     passage    of  Scripture  or  of  their 

X^°  Fc-K  c/N^>Y 

patron  saint. 

Chroferens  signifies  Christopher;  the  letters  X,  M,  Y, 
appear  to  stand  for  Christus,  Maria,  Josephus  (Joseph  or 
Jesus).  The  S  at  the  top  may  be  the  initial  of  Sancta  (Maria). 
The  S,  A,  S  in  the  second  line  are  more  difficult  to  explain, 
possibly  for  Salve,  Ave,  Sanctus.  They  make  seven  letters, 
seven  being  generally  considered  a  sacred  number. 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   THE   EXPEDITION.  97 

Enriqtiez,  High  Admiral  of  Castile  ;  "  2.  To  be 
"  Viceroy  and  Governor-general  over  all  the  said 
islands,  continents,  &c.,  with\the  power  of  nam 
ing "  for  each  separate  government,  three  persons, 
one  of  whom  the  king  was  to  select  and  appoint ; 
3.  To  have  the  tenth  part  of  the  profits  remaining 
after  all  expenses  had  been  paid,  the  other  nine 
being  for  the  sovereigns  ;  4.  To  be  judge  in  the 
courts  necessary  for  inquiring  into  questions 
respecting  merchandise,  &c. ;  and  5,  To  be  per 
mitted  to  contribute  an  eighth  share  of  the  ex 
penses  of  equipment,  and  to  take  an  eighth  share 
of  the  gain.  —  "  Granted,  in  the  town  of  Santa 
F6,  in  the  plain  of  Granada,  the  seventeenth  day 
of  April,  in  the  year  of  the  nativity  of  our 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  one  thousand  four  hundred 
and  ninety-two.  —  I  THE  KING.  —  I  THE  QUEEN." 
Preparations  had  now  to  be  made  for  the  expe 
dition  itself.  Palos,  with  which  and  its  neighbor 
hood  Columbus  was  so  connected,  was  bound,  by 
some  charter  or  law,  to  serve  the  crown  with  two 


98  COLUMBUS. 

armed  caravels,  for  three  months  in  the  year. 
Ferdinand,  with  his  usual  thrift,  fixed  on  these  as 
his  share,  and  ordered  them  to  be  got  ready  with 
out  loss  of  time.  The  third  vessel  was  equipped 
by  Columbus,  through  the  assistance  of  his 
friends,  at  his  own  expense.  While  he  remained 
at  court,  Isabella  afforded  him  a  striking  and  very 
encouraging  mark  of  her  favor.  His  son  Diego 
was  appointed  page  to  Prince  Juan,  the  heir 
apparent.  This  was  an  honor  which  had  hitherto 
only  been  granted  to  the  sons  of  persons  of  high 
rank ;  but  the  queen  had  a  kind  heart,  and  knew 
how  gratified  the  father  would  be  in  leaving  his 
son  under  such  patronage ;  her  judgment,  usually 
correct  and  far-seeing,  may  likewise  have  had 
something  to  do  with  this  appointment ;  as  she 
would  reflect,  that  should  the  enterprising  parent 
prove  successful,  according  to  the  terms  of  the 
agreement,  himself  and  heirs  would  be  called  to 
high  office  and  rank,  and  that  by  this  position  at 
court,  young  Diego  would  be,  in  fact,  undergoing 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   THE  EXPEDITION.         99 

a  training  which  subsequently  would  be  found  to 
have  been  necessary  for  him.  On  the  12th  of 
May,  all  being  finished  that  had  to  be  done  at 
court,  Columbus  left  it,  directing  his  steps  now 
towards  the  harbor  from  which  he  hoped  soon  to 
sail,  for  the  discovery  of  the  second  half  of  the 
world.  He  was  fifty-six  years  of  age  ;  and  for 
nearly  twenty,  his  mind  had  been  fixed  on  one 
object.  If  he  were  past  the  vigor  of  life  as  to 
age,  yet  his  constitution  was  sound,  and  had 
never  been  injured  by  excess.  Powerful  in  frame, 
he  was  likewise  mature  in  judgment,  conscious  of 
superiority,  exercising  command  almost  as  a 
right ;  dignified,  and  yet  affable  ;  so  self-possessed 
that  by  no  event  was  he  to  be  surprised,  and  so 
self-controlled  that  he  was  always  well  able  to 
govern  others. 

At  Palos,  however,  he  found  that  if  obstruc 
tions  were  removed  out  of  the  way,  the  way  itself 
was  rough,  presenting  a  friction  which,  though  it 
could  not  prevent,  greatly  impeded  all  his  move 
ments.  While  an  expedition  to  traverse  un- 


100  COLUMBUS. 

known  seas  was  only  a  scheme  in  the  mind  of  an 
individual,  and  a  few  friends  whom  he  had  per 
suaded  that  it  was  a  good  one,  all  was  quiet. 
Everybody  could  calmly  look  at  that  which 
interfered  with  nobody.  In  a  small  seaport  it 
would  furnish  a  novel  topic  for  both  reasonable 
discourse  and  idle  gossip.  But  all  this  quietness 
had  to  be  disturbed.  When  Columbus  arrived  at 
the  convent,  his  good  friend  the  prior  received 
him  with  exultation.  Their  object  was  gained. 
Preparations  for  the  speedy  commencement  of  the 
actual  voyage  had  to  be  made.  It  would  not  be 
easy  to  conceive  the  feelings  with  which  Colum 
bus  and  the  prior  would  grasp  each  other's  hand. 
Six  years  before,  the  first,  with  his  youthful  son, 
the  companion  of  his  homeless  wanderings  had 
stood  at  the  convent  gate,  a  mendicant,  for  the 
refreshment  of  bread  and  water ;  and  the  second 
had  been  struck  by  his  appearance,  and  by  con 
versation  with  him  had  learned  his  plans.  The 
six  years  had  been  replete  with  anxiety  and 
disappointment.  But  they  are  gone,  and  their 


PEEPARATIONS   FOR   THE    EXPEDITION.      101 

cares !  The  youth  is  high  in  office  at  court. 
The  father  is  about  to  begin  one  of  the  most 
momentous  undertakings  ever  conceived  by  man. 
We  may  be  sure,  that  as  soon  as  mutual  con 
gratulations  had  been  exchanged,  work  would 
commence.  And  so  it  was.  The  friends  pro 
cured  a  notary,  proceeded  to  Palos,  called  the 
authorities  and  inhabitants  to  assemble  in  the 
parish  church  of  St.  George,  and  there  publicly 
read  the  royal  order  for  the  equipment  of  the 
caravels,  and  their  employment  on  the  discovery- 
voyage  as  soon  as  all  was  ready.  The  people 
were  astonished;  and  to  astonishment  fear,  and 
even  terror,  soon  succeeded.  Of  persons  actually 
engaged  in  such  a  voyage  they  had  never  heard. 
Every  conceivable  danger  that  ignorance  and 
superstition  could  suggest  was  imagined.  Alarm 
spread  from  family  to  family,  from  heart  to  heart, 
and  increased  by  communication.  Palos  was  a 
nursery  of  seamen.  Many  a  bold  youth  was 
there,  many  a  hardy  and  experienced  veteran. 
But  youth  and  veteran  alike  shrank  from  the 


102  COLUMBUS. 

perilous  enterprise.  Orders  came  from  the  sover 
eigns  to  impress  into  the  service  the  number  of 
seamen  required ;  but  these  could  not  be  carried 
into  effect.  Commotions  and  tumults  ensued ; 
arid  Columbus,  just  when  he  thought  that  all  was 
gained,  stood  for  a  time  in  doubt  whether  he 
would  not  be  obliged,  after  all,  to  desist.  Who 
would  undertake  a  voyage,  from  which,  it  was 
said,  neither  vessels  nor  seamen  would  return  ? 

Just  at  this  time,  the  wealthy  navigator  whom 
Columbus,  some  years  before,  had  succeeded  in 
convincing;  boldly  came  forward,  and,  together 
with  his  brother,  Vicente  Yanez  Pinzon,  not 
only  declared  their  approval  of  the  voyage,  but 
offered  themselves  to  accompany  it  with  two  of 
their  own  vessels.  Their  example  was  effectual ; 
the  vessels  were  soon  manned  and  the  process  of 
storing  them  rapidly  proceeded.  The  greatest 
difficulties  were  connected  with  the  third  vessel 
which  had  been  pressed  into  the  service.  The 
repairs  needed  were  so  imperfectly  performed 
that  they  had  to  be  done  over  again.  The  work- 


PEEPAEATIONS   FOE-   THE  EXPEDITION.      103 

men  absconded,  and  scarcely  could  their  place  be 
supplied.  To  the  very  last  moment  had  Colum 
bus  to  combat  with  difficulties,  and  surmount 
obstructions.  But  he  was  invincible.  With 
mingled  firmness  and  patience  he  went  onwards 
till  the  long  desired  moment  arrived  in  which  he 
could  say,  "  All  is  ready ! "  This  was  in  the 
beginning  of  August. 

And  what  was  the  "  fleet "  provided  for  this 
great  expedition  ?  Three  vessels,  only  one  of 
which  was  completely  decked !  The  other  two 
were  little  more  than  the  river  and  coasting  barks 
of  our  own  time.  These  caravels,  as  they  were 
termed,  were  built  high  at  the  prow  and  stern, 
with  forecastles  and  cabins  for  the  crew ;  but  the 
centres  were  not  decked.  The  decked  vessel  was 
called  the  Santa  Maria,  and  carried  Columbus 
and  the  admiral's  flag.  One  of  the  caravels,  the 
Pinta,  was  commanded  by  Martin  Alonzo 
Pinzon  ;  and  the  other,  the  Nina,  by  his  brother, 
Vincente  Yanez.  Francisco  Martin  Pinzon, 
another  brother,  sailed  with  Alonzo  as  his  mate. 


104  COLUMBUS. 

Garcia  Fernandez,  the  physician  of  Palos,  sailed 
with  Vincente.  They  had  also  three  able  pilots 
on  board,  whoso  names  deserve  a  record  :  Sancho 
Ruiz,  Pedro  Alonzo  Mfio,  and  Bartholomew 
Roldan.  The  total  number  of  persons  was  one 
hundred  and  twenty. 

Unhappily,  as  the  moment  of  departure  ap 
proached,  the  gloom  of  the  whole  community 
increased.  Perhaps  this  was  not  unnatural.  It 
could  not  be  expected  that  Columbus,  so  far  in 
advance  of  the  age,  would  be  able  to  bring  others 
to  share  in  his  own  views  and  feelings.  The 
relatives  and  friends  of  all  parties  concerned, 
expressed  their  persuasion  that  the  separation 
would  be  a  final  one  ;  and  the  grief  they  indulged 
spread  from  them  to  the  crews. 

The  last  act  of  Columbus  was  in  accordance 
with  general  custom.  Towards  the  conclusion  of 
the  day  before  that  on  which  the  voyage  was  to 
commence,  he  and  all  his  companions  attended 
mass,  confessing  themselves,  and  receiving  abso 
lution  according  to  the  discipline  of  the  Church 
of  Rome.  This  was  August  2d,  1492. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


E 


EVENTS   OF   THE   FIRST   VOYAGE. 

ARLY  in  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  August, 
1492,  almost  all  the  inhabitants  of  a  small 
seaport  on  the  south 
west   coast   of  Spain, 
were      gathered      to 
gether    to    see    three 
vessels,         containing 
one       hundred       and 
I  twenty     persons,    for 
the  most  part  belong- 
^    ing   to  Palos   and  its 
neighborhood,  sail  out 
of    the    harbor.      On 
THE  CARAVELS  OF  COLUMBUS,      shore,  there  were  few 
who  were  not  filled  with  grief,  being  persuaded 

105 


106  COLUMBUS. 

that    their   relatives   and    friends   who   were    on 
board  would  return   no   more.     By  the  lamenta 
tions    of    those    who    were    left    the    minds    of 
those  who  were  leaving  were  painfully  affected ; 
their  spirits  were  depressed,  their  fears  excited, 
and  could  they  have  abandoned  the  voyage  they 
would  have  done  so.     There  was,  however,  one 
man  who,  though  not  unaffected  by  what  he  saw, 
was   unmoved.     The   hour  had  arrived  which  he 
had  long  desired,  long   sought.     He  did  all  that 
he  could  to  communicate  something  of  his   own 
feeling  to  those  whom  he  regarded  as  his  compan 
ions  in  the  prosecution  of  a  glorious  work.     As 
the  vessels  slowly  moved  along,  while  the   crews 
were   looking    shorewards,    and    repeating    their 
signs  of  farewell  to  their  friends,  Columbus  was 
looking   oceanwards,    his    thoughts    travelling   in 
swift   flight   far   beyond    the   horizon-line   where 
sea    and    sky   seemed     to    meet ;    and    exulting 
already   in   the    anticipation   of    the   new   shores 
which  he   hoped,  ere   long,  to   behold,   and  from 
which  he  trusted  to  return  in  triumph,  spreading 


EVENTS    OF   THE    FIRST   VOYAGE.  107 

joy  where  now  was  so  much  sorrow.  The  vessels 
were  first  steered  to  the  southwest.  It  was  his 
intention  to  proceed  to  the  Canary  Islands,  and 
thence  take  his  real  departure,  on  his  voyage  of 
discovery.  Only  on  the  third  day  after  leaving 
port  his  troubles  began.  A  signal  was  made 
from  the  Pinta,  that  her  rudder  was  broken,  and 
had  become  unserviceable.  It  was  feared  that 
this  was  no  accident;  but  that  her  disaffected 
owners  had  purposely  occasioned  it,  that  the 
disabled  vessel  might  have  to  return.  Even  the 
crews  of  the  other  vessels  (for  those  were  days 
of  superstition,  and  sailors  are  never  less  super 
stitious  than  landsmen)  regarded  the  event  as 
an  omen  of  misfortune,  a  sign  of  bad  luck ; 
and  it  required  all  the  energy  of  the  admiral  to 
induce  them  to  proceed.  They  soon  reached  the 
Canaries ;  and  for  two  or  three  weeks  Columbus 
cruised  among  the  islands  in  search  of  a  vessel 
which  he  might  take  instead  of  the  Pinta.  To 
add  to  his  vexations,  he  heard  that  three  Portu 
guese  vessels  had  been  seen  hovering  to  the 


108  COLUMBUS. 

westward.  He  feared  that  these  had  been  de 
spatched  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  his  little 
fleet,  and  putting  a  stop  to  his  voyage. 

Finding  no  other  vessel,  the  Pinta  was  re 
paired,  and  all  the  vessels  well-stored  and  fitted 
for  the  voyage,  which  was  now  really  to  begin. 
Among  the  Canaries,  the  sailors  scarcely  felt 
themselves  separated  from  home.  He  was  anx 
ious,  therefore,  that  the  prow  of  his  vessel  should 
be  furrowing  the  ocean  beyond.  He  endeavored 
to  put  to  sea  on  the  6th  of  September  ;  but  for 
three  days  a  tedious  calm  kept  them  close  by 
land.  In  the  night  of  the  8th,  the  wind  freshened 
a  little ;  and  at  sunrise  he  saw  behind  him,  some 
twenty  miles  distant,  the  most  westerly  of  the 
Canaries,  the  small  island  of  Ferro.  The  sea  was 
clear  all  around  him,  to  his  great  joy ;  for  he 
dreaded,  most  of  all,  the  appearance  of  the  Port 
uguese  vessels.  As  the  day  advanced,  the  wind 
increased,  and  continued  fair ;  so  that  the  land 
astern  —  how  many  wishful  eyes  would  on  that 
9th  day  of  September  be  regarding  it !  —  grad- 


EVENTS    OF   THE   FIRST    VOYAGE.  109 

ually  diminished  and  faded,  till  night  finally  hid 
it  from  view.  On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of 
September,  land  was  no  longer  in  sight.  The 
voyage  was  begun  ! 

But  this  which  so  gladdened  the  noble  heart 
of  the  admiral,  affected  the  sailors  so  much,  that 
many  of  them  even  shed  tears.  What  they  had 
left  they  knew ;  but  where  were  they  going  ? 
what  would  they  find  ?  It  was  the  great  object 
of  Columbus  to  keep  them  occupied,  and  to  ani 
mate  them  by  the  prospects  which  were  present 
to  his  own  vision.  Still,  though  he  had  no  dis 
trust,  there  were  moments  when  he  felt  that 
his  views  were  not  absolutely  certain.  Cheer 
ful  to  others,  the  inner  man  could  not  but  be 
serious,  even  to  solemnity,  if  not  occasionally 
anxious.  But  all  this  was  his  own  secret.  With 
powerful  self-control,  he  commanded  his  very 
features,  and  for  some  days  onward  and  onward 
went  the  ships,  impelled  by  the  favoring  breeze  ; 
leaving  the  old  world  behind,  hastening  to  behold 
the  new. 


110  COLUMBUS. 

It  is  somewhat  singular  that  the  line  on  which 
he  sailed  was  one  which  postponed  discovery. 
Had  he  sailed  from  the  Azores  instead  of  the 
Canaries,  and  held  on  due  west,  several  days 
before  he  saw  one  of  the  small  Bahamas,  he  would 
have  entered  the  noble  Chesapeake,  on  that  great 
continent  which  bears  the  name  of  one  not  truly 
its  discoverer.  Had  his  course,  even  from  the 
Canaries,  been  steered  a  few  points  to  the  south, 
he  would  have  seen  the  Antilles,  which  he  passed 
to  the  northward  out  of  sight  but  few  days  before 
he  actually  made  land.  But  in  his  circumstances, 
he  thought  it  best  to  keep  uniformly  to  the  west. 

By  splendid  descriptions  appealing  to  their 
imagination,  by  splendid  promises  appealing  to 
their  desire  for  riches,  and  sometimes  by  reasoning 
with  them  on  the  facts  and  principles  of  the  case, 
he  sought  to  keep  his  men  in  good  humor.  Thus 
far  he  was  right,  for  he  himself  fully  believed  all 
that  he  said.  One  deception,  however,  he  prac 
tised,  which,  because  it  was  a  deception,  was 
unworthy  of  his  courage.  He  kept  the  reckoning 


EVENTS   OF   THE   FIKST    VOYAGE.  Ill 

of  the  fleet  himself;  and  while  one  paper,  for  his 
own  use,  marked  the  true  rate  of  sailing,  a  second, 
for  his  little  public,  exhibited  a  much  slower 
advance.  He  did  not  wish  his  crew  to  know  how 
far  they  had  sailed. 

And  troubles  soon  began.  Before  they  had 
left  Ferro  a  week,  they  passed  a  large  mast  float 
ing  on  the  water,  looking  like  part  of  a  wreck. 
This,  too,  the  sailors  considered  as  ominous. 
But,  in  a  few  days,  for  a  short  time  even  his  own 
mind  was  troubled.  He  observed,  for  the  first 
time,  the  variation  of  the  needle,  —  its  deflection 
from  the  true  north  point,  as  indicated  by  the 
polar  star.  The  pilots,  also,  soon  perceived  it, 
and  for  a  time  the  alarm  was  great  and  general. 
It  was  apprehended  that  they  were  approaching  a 
part  of  the  world  where  they  would  no  longer  find 
the  same  natural  laws  in  operation.  He  was 
obliged  to  explain  the  matter  as  well  as  he  could  ; 
and  his  high  reputation  as  an  astronomer  stood 
him  in  good  stead.  Before  long,  the  little  fleet 
had  entered  the  "  trade  wind,"  which  there  blows 


112  COLUMBUS. 

steadily  from  east  to  west.  The  sea  was  smooth, 
the  weather  serene,  and  they  were  wafted  rapidly 
along,  for  many  days  not  shifting  a  sail.  Signs 
of  land,  too,  as  Columbus  hoped  they  woul^l 
prove,  began  to  appear.  Patches  of  herbs  and 
weeds  were  seen  drifting  from  the  west,  some  of 
them  appearing  quite  fresh ;  and  on  one  of  them 
was  a  live  crab.  New  kinds  of  birds  were  seen ; 
some  of  them  evidently  land-birds.  Every  eye 
now  was  directed  westward.  A  pension  of  thirty 
crowns  had  been  promised  to  the  person  first 
discovering  land.  Columbus  frequently  sounded, 
with  a  two-hundred-foot  line  ;  but  no  bottom  had 
yet  been  found. 

But,  though  thus  occasionally  inspirited,  the 
sailors  began  to  fear  that  they  were  advancing  so 
far,  that  return  would  be  impracticable.  The 
wind  blew  from  the  east:  how  were  they  to  sail 
towards  the  east,  back  again  ?  Then,  again,  were 
they  cheered  by  the  morning  visits  of  little  sing 
ing-birds,  which  left  them  at  night,  coming  from 
the  west,  and  returning  in  the  same  direction. 


EVENTS   OF   THE  FIRST  VOYAGE.  113 

Still,  as  they  went  onward,  onward,  onward,  and 
nothing  but  sea  and  sky,  their  hearts  again  failed 
them.  One  day  there  was  a  dead  calm,  and  they 
feared  they  had  entered  a  region  where  the  winds 
had  ceased  to  blow.  Their  minds  were  in  such  a 
state  that  every  trifle  affected  them.  Their  mur 
murs  increased,  and  at  length,  began  to  assume 
the  form  of  resistance  to  the  admiral's  authority. 
He  himself  had  reckoned,  that  at  a  distance  of 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  they  would  find 
land.  They  had  sailed  thus  far,  but  no  land 
had  been  seen. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  many  land-birds  came 
to  them  from  the  southwest;  and  appearances  in 
that  direction  were  such  that  he  consented  to  turn 
his  vessel's  head  from  the  line  which  hitherto  it 
had  traced.  Had  he  not  done  so  land  might  have 
been  found  a  day  or  two  later ;  but  it  would  have 
been  the  continent,  where  it  is  now  called  Florida. 
But  his  crews  were  almost  in  a  state  of  mutiny. 
Three  days  they  continued  in  this  direction ;  and 
when  the  sun  went  down,  on  the  10th  of  October, 


114  COLUMBUS. 

no  land  appeared  on  the  horizon.  It  was  with 
the  utmost  difficulty,  by  threats  and  persuasions, 
by  mingled  authority  and  kindness,  that  he  in 
duced  them  to  continue  their  course  till  another 
day  should  enlighten  the  scene.  On  that  day, 
October  llth,  in  its  earlier  portion,  there  were 
evident  indications  of  a  land  near  them.  A 
fish,  known  to  dwell  in  water  among  rocks, 
passed  them;  a  branch,  with  berries  on  it,  was 
seen  floating;  also  a  reed,  a  piece  of  board  — 
wood  evidently  cut;  and,  soon  after,  a  carved 
stick.  Not  only  was  land  near  but  land  on 
which  was  man.  What  a  day  would  that  be 
for  every  one  on  board,  but  most  of  all  for  the 
"  admiral !  "  Curiosity  there  would  be  in  all ;  in 
him  the  curiosity  of  science.  But  the  sun  went 
down,  and  still  no  land!  Murmurs,  however,  had 
subsided ;  they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  land,  and 
the  question  was,  "  Who  shall  see  it  first  ?  "  And 
this  would  be,  not  from  natural  curiosity  alone, 
but  from  the  hope  of  the  pension  of  thirty 
crowns. 


EVENTS    OF   THE   FIRST    VOYAGE.  11 7 

Vespers  had  been  sung.  Columbus  had  ad 
dressed  his  crew.  He  told  them  he  believed  they 
would  make  land  that  very  night,  and  exhorted 
all  to  be  on  the  "  look  out."  He  took  his  own 
station  on  the  highest  part  of  the  forecastle ;  and 
as  the  darkness  closed  around  him,  his  eye  sought 
to  penetrate  the  veil  for  the  slightest  indication  of 
the  long-desired  object.  To  him  the  moments 
would  pass  slowly,  for  anxiety  was  at  its  height. 
The  Pinta  was  a  short  distance  a-head  ;  from  her, 
therefore,  the  first  signal  might  be  expected.  But 
he  who  first  conceived  the  idea  first  witnessed 
its  realization.  About  ten  at  night,  he  thought 
he  perceived  a  light  at  a  great  distance.  He 
looked  again.  It  appeared  to  move,  as  if  lifted 
up  and  down,  and  then,  as  if  a  person  were  walk 
ing  with  it.  Dreading  the  effect  of  disappoint 
ment  on  the  crew,  he  called  one  of  his  officers  up 
to  him,  Pedro  Gutierrez.  He,  too,  saw  it.  He 
then  called  Rodrigo  Sanchez,  who  saw  it  just  as 
it  disappeared.  Twice  or  thrice  afterwards,  how 
ever,  it  appeared  again;  and  though  land  itself 


118  COLUMBUS. 

could  not  be  seen,  the  token  that  there  was  land, 
and  inhabited  land,  had  been  given ;  and  first  seen 
by  Columbus. 

While  they  were  watching,  —  and  there  would 
be  no  sleep  that  night,  —  two  in  the  morning  had 
arrived.  A  gun  was  fired  from  the  Pinta.  It 
was  the  signal  agreed  upon.  From  that  vessel 
Rodriguez  Bermejo,  a  sailor  from  Seville,  had 
seen  that  they  were  approaching  land.  All  now 
was  joyous  expectation.  The  hitherto  unpassed 
ocean  had  been  crossed.  Though  shrouded  by 
darkness,  land  was  before  them  ;  and  in  a  very  few 
hours  day  would  show  them  what  it  was.  Dili 
gent  scientific  research,  untiring  industry  and 
patience,  unconquerable  perseverence,  were  about 
to  be  rewarded.  COLUMBUS  WAS  THE  DISCOV 
ERER  OF  THE  NEW  WORLD. 


CHAPTER    X. 

FTftST     LANDING     OF     COLUMBUS     IN      THE      NE\T 
WOULD. 

IX  the  conclusions  at  which  Columbus  had 
arrived,  the  existence  of  another  continent 
had  no  place.  He  expected  that  Asia  extended 
far  to  the  eastward  from  India ;  and  to  the  east 
ward  of  its  farthest  coast  he  expected  to  find  a 
large  island,  with  rich  and  warlike  inhabitants. 
Vague  reports  in  those  days  had  reached  Europe 
concerning  Japan,  or,  as  Columbus  termed  it, 
Cipango,  Whether  this  were  the  island,  or 
whether  it  were  the  Asiatic  continent,  he  knew 
not.  At  length  day  broke,  and  soon  all  became 
visible.  A  beautiful  island  was  before  these 
intrepid  navigators.  It  was  almost  covered  by 
verdant  forests,  and  the  herbage  appeared  most 
luxuriant.  All  were  anxious  to  go  on  shore.  By 

119 


120  COLUMBUS. 

sunrise  the  admiral  was  ready,  clothed  in  a 
splendid  scarlet  uniform.  The  two  Pinzons  like 
wise  entered  their  boats.  All  were  accompanied 
by  armed  men,  and  carried  the  banners  of  Castile 
and  Aragon.  The  inhabitants  were  seen  running 
about  in  great  numbers ;  but  the  state  of  nudity 
in  which  they  lived  proved  at  once  that  there  v,  ;is 
no  Asiatic  civilization  among  them. 

Columbus  landed,  took  possession  of  the 
country  in  the  name  of  Their  Spanish  Majesties, 
had  himself  proclaimed  viceroj^,  and  received  the 
oaths  of  subjection  from  his  followers,  who  were 
now  as  excited  by  joy  as  before  they  had  been 
dejected  by  grief  and  despair.  The  most  muti 
nous  fell  at  his  feet,  craving  pardon.  All  prom 
ised  obedience,  and  few  neglected  to  solicit  favors. 
The  inhabitants,  meanwhile,  were  all  astonish 
ment  and  alarm.  At  daybreak  they  had  seen  the 
vessels,  and  supposed  them  to  be  monsters  with 
wings,  especially  when  they  saw  them,  as  it  were 
self-moved  by  the  sails.  When  the  party  landed, 
they  saw  beings  of  a  new  race,  and  at  first  fled  to 


FIRST  LANDING    OF   COLUMBUS.  121 

the  woods  ;  but  after  a  time  they  became  assured 
and,  with  all  the  confidence  of  their  unknowing 
simplicity,  mingled  freely  with  their  visitors. 
Their  skins  were  fancifully  painted,  but  their 
original  complexion  was  copper-colored.  For 
arms  they  had  only  lances,  the  point  being 
hardened  by  fire,  or  having  some  fish-bone 
fastened  there.  Of  iron  they  appeared  to  have 
no  knowledge.  Articles  for  gift  or  traffic  were 
of  the  most  simple  character.  Some  of  them, 
however,  had  ornaments  of  gold  about  them. 
The  Spaniards,  as  well  as  they  could,  eagerly 
inquired  where  they  had  been  obtained ;  and,  as 
well  as  they  could  understand  the  signs,  gathered 
that  the  region  for  gold  was  to  the  south-west. 

Columbus  had  landed  on  an  island  belonging 
to  the  group  now  named  "the  Bahamas."  If  a 
map  be  examined,  it  will  be  seen,  that  if  he  had 
pursued  a  course  in  a  somewhat  more  southerly 
direction,  he  would  much  sooner  have  reached 
land.  lie  landed  at  what  is  now  the  island  of 
St.  Salvador,  which  is  about  24°  north  latitude, 


122  COLUMBUS. 

and  76°  west  longitude.  Supposing  his  vessel  to 
have  been,  some  given  day,  in  18°  30  north  lati 
tude,  and  about  61°  west  longitude,  lie  would 
have  been  directly  north  of  the  Antilles, 
and,  by  sailing  directly  south,  he  would 
have  come  to  Barbuda,  Antigua,  Dominica, 
Martinico,  St.  Vincent,  or  Barbadoes  (a  little  to 
the  east),  and  so  on  to  Tabago,  Trinidad,  ^ancl 
the  southern  continent,  near  the  mouths  of  the 
vast  "  Orinoco."  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  had 
not  deviated  from  his  direct  westerly  course 
(by  which  deviation  he  was  brought  to  St.  Sal 
vador),  he  wxDuld  either  have  come,  about  the 
same  time,  to  Eleuthera,  or  New  Providence  ;  or, 
had  he  been  a  little  to  the  north,  and  passed  them 
in  the  night  to  the  "  larboard  "  (or  left),  as  the 
sailors  say,  in  two  or  three  days  at  furthest  he 
might  have  run  the  prow  of  his  vessel  on  the 
southern  point  of  the  North  American  continent, 
somewhere  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  and  left  not 
even  the  shadow  of  a  reason  for  giving  to  the 
new  world  the  name  which  it  now  bears,  from 


FIRST   LANDING   OF  COLUMBUS.  123 

a  later  voyager,  whose  name  is  Latinized  to 
Americus  Vespuccius.  If  ever  man  deserved 
that  his  memory  should  be  preserved  in  the 
denomination  of  any  land  on  this  globe  of 
ours,  that  man  was  Christopher  Columbus,  and 
AMERICA  should  have  been  COLUMBIA. 

The  next  morning  the  natives,  who  appear  to 
have  apprehended  no 
danger  from  the  stran- 
gers,  visited  the  ships, 
some  by  swimming, 
others  in  vessels  formed 
from  the  trunk  of  a  single 
tree,  hollowed  out,  which 
they  called  canoes,  and 
which  were  some  of  them,  capable  of  containing 
forty  or  fifty  persons.  It  was  soon  found  that 
here,  at  all  events,  the  dreams  which  many  had 
entertained,  and  from  which  Columbus  himself 
had  not  been  free,  —  that  regions  of  great  wealth 
would  be  reached,  by  the  discovery  of  which 
riches  might  speedily  be  secured,  — were  not  likely 


124  COLUMBUS. 

to  be  realized.  Columbus  had  thought  of  reach 
ing  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  old  continent  of 
Asia,  where  a  civilized  and  wealthy  people,  as  in 
India,  would  be  found;  but  the  simple  islanders 
of  the  Western  Indies  (as  the  new  discoveries, 
collectively,  were  soon  named)  were  altogether 
different  from  the  Hindoos  or  Chinese.  And, 
eventually,  most  melancholy  was  the  result. 
Many  of  the  companions  of  Columbus  in  his 
first  voyage,  and  still  more  in  those  which  he 
subsequently  made,  were  animated  by  the  eager 
and  ignorant  cupidity  of  the  day.  They  were 
men  who  wanted  to  "  make  haste  to  be  rich." 
Unacquainted  with  the  true  principles  of  com 
merce,  and  too  impatient  in  their  desires  for 
wealth  to  be,  according  to  the  old  fable,  con 
tented  with  the  golden  egg  daily,  they  wanted  to 
be  rich  at  once  ;  not  by  the  cultivation  of  the 
land,  by  the  establishment  of  new  markets 
for  home  manufactures,  the  introduction  of 
new  articles  of  commerce  into  their  native 
country,  and  from  Spain  into  Europe  generally, 


FIRST   LANDING   OF   COLUMBUS.  125 

but  by  the  immediate  possession  of  the  more 
costly  articles,  especially  of  the  precious  metals. 

All  these  expectations  were  disappointed,  until 
Mexico  was  discovered  and  conquered,  some 
years  afterwards,  by  Hernando  Cortes ;  and,  sub 
sequently,  Peru  by  Francisco  Pizarro.  The 
results  soon  were  fatal  to  the  inhabitants.  Dis 
appointed  in  their  expectations  of  immediate 
wealth,  the  Spaniards,  though  unable  to  gratify 
their  avarice,  could  indulge  their  indolence,  and 
the  natives  were  soon  compelled  to  become  their 
servants.  The  consequence  was,  that,  worn  out 
by  a  toil  for  which  their  previous  habits  had 
unfitted  them,  and  which  their  few  wants  did  not 
require, — as,  indeed,  the  nature  of  the  climate 
did  not  allow  it,  —  they  gradually  melted  away, 
so  that  their  diminished  and  diminishing  numbers 
became  insufficient  for  the  cultivation  of  the  land. 

Then  a  remedy,  worse  if  possible,  than  the  dis 
ease,  was  employed.  A  hardier  race  was  judged 
to  be  necessary  ;  and  before  the  aborigines  had 
disappeared,  —  which  was  the  case  in  no  long 


126  COLUMBUS. 

space  of  time,  —  the  importation  of  negroes  from 
Africa  laid  the  foundation  of  the  guilty  systems 
of  the  African  slave-trade,  and  West  Indian  and 
American  slavery.  West  Indian  slavery,  at  a 
period,  still  within  the  memory  of  many  now 
living,  Great  Britain  put  down ;  and  the 
country  which  glories  that  under  its  govern 
ment  all  men  are  free  and  equal  has  later 
wrought  out  and  solved  forever  the  problem 
of  human  slavery  in  the  western  world.  That 
country  set  the  example  of  liberty  to  all  nations 
by  declaring  that  all  her  subjects  should  enjoy 
personal  freedom,  and  equality  before  the  law, 
as  their  inalienable  and  sacred  birth-right. 

The  Spaniards  soon  discovered  that  their  new 
friends  had  very  little  to  offer  them.  In  return 
for  the  trinkets  that  were  given  them,  they  had 
only  some  balls  of  cotton  yarn,  and  parrots  which 
they  had  tamed.  They  wore,  however,  small 
ornaments  of  gold  in  their  noses  ;  and  when  asked 
whence  these  came,  they  pointed  to  the  south, 
and  intimated  that  the  people  there  were  warlike, 


FIKST   LANDING   OF   COLUMBUS. 


127 


and  that  from  the  north-west,  also,  they  were 
sometimes  invaded,  and  the  captives  taken  away 
as  slaves.  Columbus  thought  this  must  be  the 
Asia  of  his  imaginings,  and  resolving  to  pursue 
his  discoveries,  found  no  difficulty  in  per 
suading  "his  men  to  concur  in  his  resolution. 
After  brief  repose,  therefore,  he  left  the  island, 
directing  his  course  towards  the  south,  and  taking 
with  him  several  of  the  inhabitants,  that  they 
might  learn  Spanish,  and  be  their  interpreters  in 
other  places. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DISCOVERY   OF    CUBA   AND    HISPANIOLA. 

IN  some  sense  it  might  be  said  that  the  voyage 
of  discovery  was  now  finished;  hencefor 
ward  it  was  to  be  one  of  exploration.  For  some 
time  it  was  most  delightful :  every  object  was 
new  the  toils  and  apprehensions  of  the  outward 
voyage  were  over,  and  pleasing  certainty  had  dis 
placed  alarming  doubt.  Novelty,  always  most 
gratifying  in  its  first  stages,  was  the  more  so  to 
the  Spaniards,  not  only  from  its  contrast  with  the 
dark  and  distressing  past,  nor  even  from  the 
pleasantness  of  the  objects  which  it  exhibited  ;  but 
from  the  character  which  all  those  objects  sus 
tained,  as  not  only  being  seen  for  the  first  time  by 
them,  but  for  the  first  time  by  any  Europeans. 
It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  of  a  temper 

128 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND    HISPANIOLA.      129 

more  prepared  for  delight  than  that  of  the  crews 
of  Columbus  for  the  first  few  days  after  the  grand 
discovery  had  been  made  by  them.  The  long- 
agitated  problem  was  solved,  and  solved  by  them 
selves.  Every  bosom  would  swell  at  the  thoughts 
of  returning  home,  and  telling  to  their  anxious, 
if  not  despairing,  friends  the  wonderful  tale  of 
their  success.  Each  sailor  would  feel  that  at 
home,  in  his  own  circle,  he  would  be  a  hero.  He 
would  be  able  to  speak  to  them,  not  merely  of 
lands  which  he  had  seen  and  they  had  not,  —  and 
this  is  still  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  of  the 
returned  traveller,  —  but  of  lands  of  which  he 
had  not  heard  till  he  saw  them,  nor  they  till  he 
told  them.  None  could  feel  this  in  as  high  a 
degree  as  Columbus  himself,  but  it  would  be  felt 
by  all ;  and  as  nothing  adverse  had  as  yet 
occurred,  all  would  be  disposed  to  be  pleased. 

For  several  days  they  sailed  from  island  to 
island ;  but  even  while  sailing,  and  looking-  out 
for  land  with  expectation  no  longer  mingled  with 
anxiety,  the  sea  over  which  they  were  passing 


130  COLUMBUS. 

was  continually  affording  gratification.  The 
weather  was  serene,  the  sky  bright,  the  ocean 
smooth,  for  they  had  seen  it  hitherto  in  only  one 
of  its  tropical  aspects.  No  hurricane  had  been 
witnessed  by  them,  driving  everything  before  its 
power,  and  raising  the  gentle  heaving  of  the 
water  into  mountainous  waves.  Below  the  glassy 
surface  new  kinds  of  fish,  many  of  them  beautiful 
and  splendid  in  their  hues,  were  continually 
sporting.  The  island  landscapes,  likewise,  pre 
sented  every  variety  of  loveliness.  The  verdant 
plains,  the  wooded  hills,  the  dense  foliage  of  the 
forests,  in  which,  too,  were  many  species  of  trees 
heretofore  unknown,  and  which  Columbus  con 
jectured  might  prove  of  great  value  in  Spain, 
both  for  dyeing  and  medicine,  all  contributed  to 
recompense  and  recruit  the  weary  and  exhausted 
voyagers;  and,  perhaps,  never  men  enjoyed  a 
larger  quantity  of  the  purest  physical  pleasure 
than  did  Columbus  and  his  sailors  for  the 
remainder  of  the  October  that  had  commenced 


DISCOVERY  OP  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.      131 

so  fearfully,  but  had  so  soon  afforded  such  happy 
auspices. 

As  they  proceeded  slowly  towards  the  south, 
and  island  after  island  met  their  view,  at  each  the 
inquiry  was,  Whether  gold  or  spices  were  found 
there  ?  The  answer  was  always  the  same ;  but 
the  farther  south  they  sailed,  the  more  definite 
became  the  reports  concerning  a  large  country  to 
be  found  in  that  direction.  At  length,  on  the 
28th  of  October,  they  came  in  sight  of  Cuba. 
This  noble  island,  though  very  narrow,  scarcely 
ever  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  sea  to  sea, 
and  sometimes  much  less,  extends,  in  a  diagonal 
direction,  from  north-west,  where  its  highest  lati 
tude  is  23°,  to  south-east,  where  it  is  not  quite 
20°,  not  less  than  eight  hundred  miles.  Columbus 
made  the  land  on  the  north  side,  about  a  third 
of  the  distance  from  its  lowest  extremity,  towards 
its  higher  one.  He  was  deeply  impressed  with 
the.  magnificent  views  of  the  plains,  and  valleys, 
and  lofty  mountains  of  the  island.  He  sailed 
along  the  coast  slowly  towards  the  north,  and 


132  COLUMBUS. 

began  at  length  to  believe  he  had  reached  conti 
nental  Asia. 

At  one  place,  hearing  of  a  great  prince  in  the 
interior,  he  thought  they  were  talking  of  Cublay- 
Khan,  of  Tartary,  and  sent  a  deputation  to  him 
with  presents  from  the  Spanish  sovereigns.  One 
who  was  sent  was  a  converted  Jew,  who  was 
acquainted  with  Hebrew  and  the  Chaldaic  and 
Arabic  tongues.  They  penetrated  about  twelve 
leagues  into  the  island,  and  then  came  to  a  village 
with  fifty  houses,  and  about  a  thousand  inhabi 
tants  ;  but  nothing  was  there  to  indicate  what 
these  ambassadors  sought.  The  learned  languages 
were  of  no  avail,  and  their  Indian  interpreter  had 
to  be  employed.  They  were  received  with  great 
kindness;  but  they  saw  no  marks  either  of  an 
advanced  state  of  society  or  of  the  possession  of 
wealth.  The  population  was  thin,  and  the  land 
very  partially  and  rudely  cultivated. 

On  their  return,  however,  they  were  much 
struck  by  what  they  observed  to  be  a  common 
practice.  Certain  dried  leaves  of  a  herb  were 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.     135 

rolled  up  so  as  to  form  a  tight  roll  rather  larger 
than  a  finger.  One  end  of  this  was  lit,  and  the 
other  put  into  the  mouth,  that  the  smoke  might 
first  be  drawn  up,  and  then  puffed  out.  This  was 
not  very  far  from  what  is  now  the  chief  city  of 
the  island,  Havannah.  To  these  little  rolls  the 
natives  gave  the  name  of  "tobacco,"  a  name 
which  has  since  been  transferred  to  the  weed 
itself  from  the  leaves  of  which  the  inhabitants 
made  the  rolls ;  and  this  was  evidently  their 
primitive  manner  of  using  it. 

Columbus  was  satified  that  such  a  people  as  he 
sought  was  not  to  be  found  in  Cuba.  He,  how 
ever,  kept  coasting  till,  had  he  proceeded  much 
farther,  he  would  have  arrived  at  the  most 
westerly  point  of  the  island,  now  Cape  St.  Anto 
nio,  whence  across  to  Yucatan,  on  the  opposite 
shores  of  Mexico,  is  not  much  above  a  hundred 
miles.  But  he  here  heard  that  not  far  from  the 
eastern  point  of  Cuba  was  a  large  island,  where, 
though  the  people  were  very  warlike  (some  said 
they  had  only  one  eye),  they  had  plenty  of  gold. 


136  COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  now  resolved  to  coast  back  to  the 
south-east,  though  uncertain  whether  Cuba  was 
island  or  continent. 

Soon  after  he  turned  back,  however,  a  most 
untoward  event  occurred.  The  Pinta,  com 
manded  by  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  was  the  best 
sailor ;  and  being  considerably  ahead,  Columbus 
made  signals  for  him  to  shorten  sail,  to  which  the 
captain  paid  no  attention.  These  were  repeated 
during  the  night  by  lights  at  the  mast-head  ;  but 
in  the  morning  the  vessel  was  no  longer  to  be 
seen. 

It  afterwards  appeared  that  Pinzon  had  heard 
of  this  land  to  the  eastward,  where  gold  abound 
ed,  and  that  he  and  his  crew  had  resolved  to  sail 
directly  for  it,  and  secure  its  advantages  for 
themselves.  Columbus  deeply  felt  the  desertion, 
but  continued  his  own  coasting  course,  and  at 
length  arrived  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island, 
around  which  he  sailed  for  a  little  distance.  But 
one  day,  taking  a  rather  wider  offing  than  usual, 
he  perceived  high  mountains  in  the  horizon  to 


DISCOVEEY   OF   CUBA   AND   HISPANIOLA.     137 

the  south-east.  He  immediately  made  sail  in  that 
direction ;  and  soon  arrived  at  the  island  long 
called  Hispaniola,  now  generally  known  under  the 
names  of  St.  Domingo  and  Hayti,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  magnificent  islands  in  the  world. 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  December 
that  he  entered  a  harbor  at  the  western  end  of 
the  island,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  St. 
Nicholas.  The  inhabitants,  however,  had  fled 
from  their  dwellings,  and  it  was  not  till  he  had 
sailed  farther  along  the  coast,  and  made  several 
ineffectual  attempts,  that  he  was  at  length  suc 
cessful  in  meeting  some  of  them.  But  here,  as 
elsewhere,  he  found  the  same  general  state  of 
society,  the  same  general  circumstances  of  the 
people.  One  well  acquainted  with  the  true  prin 
ciples  of  social  wealth  would  have  seen  abundant 
means  of  securing  it ;  but  of  wealth,  according  to 
the  ideas  then  attached  to  it,  no  other  traces  were 
found  than  in  the  golden  ornaments  which  some 
possessed,  though  of  the  source  whence  originally 
procured  they  could  give  no  certain  account.  Of 


138  COLUMBUS. 

its  value  they  had  no  particular  notion,  readily 
exchanging  their  ornaments  for  trifling  European 
trinkets.  Their  hospitality  could  only  furnish 
fish,  fruits,  and  cassava-bread ;  but  it  was  exer 
cised  with  the  most  unsuspecting  freedom. 

With  one  chief  or  cacique,  on  the  coast  he 
became  acquainted,  and  received  a  message  from 
another,  Guacanagari  by  name,  whose  power  was 
acknowledged  by  all  that  part  of  the  island, 
inviting  him  to  visit  a  place  on  the  coast,  a  little 
farther  to  the  eastward,  where  he  resided.  The 
party  who  were  sent  to  this  chieftain  brought 
back  so  favorable  an  account  that  Columbus 
resolved  to  accept  his  invitation.  Early  in  the 
morning  of  the  24th  of  December  he  sailed  for 
this  purpose,  and  a  little  before  midnight  had 
arrived  within  a  couple  of  leagues  of  the  place  he 
had  to  visit.  The  weather  was  fine  and  the  sea 
calm,  so  that  the  admiral,  whose  careful  attention 
scarcely  ever  ceased,  thought  he  might  take  the 
repose  which  he  felt  that  he  needed.  Giving 
strict  orders  for  watchfulness,  he  retired  to  his 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.      139 

cabin.  But  the  appearances  of  safety  were  too 
seductive  to  those  whom  he  left  on  deck,  and  who 
had  neither  his  responsibility  nor  his  thoughtful- 
ness.  Thinking  that  all  was  right,  one  by  one 
those  who  ought  to  have  watched  fell  fast  asleep. 
The  steersman,  too,  against  the  rule  which  for 
bade  such  a  proceeding  at  any  time,  gave  the 
helm  in  charge  to  a  boy,  whom  he  told  to  keep 
awake  for  a  time  while  he  rested  himself;  and 
thus,  above  and  below,  all  were  sleepers,  save  the 
boy  at  the  helm,  who  understood  nothing  of  the 
management  of  the  vessel,  even  could  he  have 
observed  its  course. 

Unknown  to  any  one,  the  ship  was  now  under 
the  influence  of  a  smooth  but  powerful  current ; 
and  before  long  struck  violently  on  a  sand-bank. 
Columbus  felt  the  shock,  and  hastened  on  deck, 
where  he  witnessed  the  negligence  consequent  on 
his  own  brief  retirement  for  necessary  repose. 
He  stood  there  and  witnessed  the  deck  empty 
and  the  vessel  aground.  The  sailing-master 
almost  immediately  followed  him,  but  he  ought 


140  COLUMBUS. 

not  to  have  left  his  post ;  and  the  crew  came  up 
in  the  confusion  of  suddenly  awakened  men. 
They  were  required  to  carry  an  anchor  astern,  to 
assist  in  getting  off  the  vessel;  but  when  they 
were  in  the  boat,  instead  of  promptly  obeying 
orders,  they  rowed  off  to  the  caravel  commanded 
by  Vincent  Pinzon,  then  at  some  little  distance, 
thus  giving  time  for  the  vessel  to  be  more  deeply 
embedded  in  the  sand.  Pinzon  was  happily  alive 
to  the  threatening  danger,  and  sharply  reproving 
the  men  in  the  boat  for  their  cowardice  in  merely 
thinking  of  their  own  safety,  and  leaving  their 
companions,  for  what  they  knew  or  cared,  to 
perish,  he  refused  to  allow  them  to  come  on 
board,  and  not  only  ordered  them  back,  but, 
directing  his  own  boat  to  be  at  once  manned,  he 
hastened  to  the  assistance  of  Columbus. 

And  it  was  time.  The  vessel  had  been  driven 
farther  upon  the  bank,  and  the  keel  was  so  fixed 
in  the  sand,  that  the  cutting  away  the  mast  pro 
duced  no  benefit.  The  seams  began  to  open,  and 
the  waves,  calm,  as  happily  the  sea  was,  beat  on 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND    HISPANIOLA.      141 

her  with  sufficient  force  to  throw  her  over  on  one 
side.  Had  the  weather  been  stormy  all  must 
have  been  lost.  As  it  was,  Columbus  and  most 
of  his  crew  had  to  leave  the  vessel,  and  take 
refuge  for  the  remainder  of  the  night  on  board 
the  caravel,  anxiously  waiting  for  morning,  when 
they  hoped  for  assistance  from  the  shore,  to 
deliver  them  from  the  terrible  consequences 
resulting  from  heedlessness.  No  one  had  intended 
to  do  any  harm.  The  weather  was  fine ;  all  was 
right.  "  Surely  we  may  just  have  an  hour's 
sleep,  when  we  will  return  to  our  posts  with 
redoubled  diligence."  Thus  the  crew  most  likely 
reasoned,  if  such  abandonment  of  the  soul  to 
present  feeling  is  to  be  called  reasoning  ;  and  thus 
reasoning,  no  one  meaning  to  do  harm,  the  vessel 
was  wrecked,  and  had  Providence  permitted  the 
wind  to  freshen,  and  the  waves  to  rise,  vessel  and 
crew  might  have  been  lost. 

The  commander  of  the  other  caravel  well  knew 
his  duty,  and  not  only  at  once  ordered  the  men 
who  had  rowed  to  his  vessel  to  return,  but  with  a 


142  COLUMBUS. 

party  of  his  own  crew  followed  them,  to  render 
aid  to  his  companions  in  this  perilous  exigency. 
But  nothing  could  be  done  till  morning  came, 
and  then  messengers  were  sent  to  give  informa 
tion  to  the  friendly  cacique.  Assistance  was 
promptly  rendered,  and  everything  was  removed 
from  the  wreck  to  the  shore.  Nothing  was 
pilfered;  and  every  accommodation  that  native 
kindness  could  afford  was  given,  in  a  manner  the 
most  affectionate. 

The  cacique  collected  a  number  of  his  people, 
by  whom  a  variety  of  their  games  were  performed. 
Columbus,  also,  caused  his  men  to  go  through  the 
European  military  manoeuvres.  The  Indians 
were  most  of  all  impressed  by  the  firing  of  a 
cannon,  loaded  with  a  ball,  the  effect  of  which 
upon  the  trees  against  which  it  was  directed  they 
witnessed  with  equal  surprise  and  terror.  They 
called  the  Spaniards  "  sons  of  heaven,"  who  had 
come  to  their  protection  armed  with  thunder  and 
lightning.  They  soon  saw  the  value  attached  by 
their  visitors  to  gold,  which  themselves  regarded 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.     143 

chiefly  as  an  ornament.  Very  willingly  did  they 
part  with  it  in  exchange  for  trifling  European 
articles  ;  and  Columbus  was  informed  that  among 
some  of  the  mountains  of  the  island  it  was  found 
in  considerable  quantities.  He  could  not  rid 
himself  of  his  notions  respecting  Cipango  (Japan), 
and  began  now  to  think  that  this  was  the  island. 
Some  of  the  men,  too,  perceiving  the  easy  life 
which  the  natives  led,  and  contrasting  the  beauty 
of  the  place  and  the  present  fineness  of  the 
weather  with  the  hardships  which  they  antici 
pated  on  their  voyage,  began  to  indulge  the  wish 
of  remaining  where  they  were.  This  at  length 
was  mentioned  to  Columbus,  who,  meditating  on 
it,  formed  the  design  of  thus  laying  the  founda 
tion  of  a  colony.  The  wreck  of  the  vessel  would 
furnish  materials  for  the  construction  of  a  fort 
ress  ;  and  during  his  absence,  the  men  who 
remained  might  acquire  the  native  language, 
explore  the  island,  and  collect  gold.  Such  were 
his  plans;  and  had  they  whom  he  left  been  ani 
mated  by  his  spirit,  the  results  might  have  been 


144  COLUMBUS. 

equally  beneficial  to  themselves,  their  new 
acquaintances,  and  their  country.  When  will 
men  learn  that  such  is  the  established  order  of 
human  affairs,  in  the  administration  of  a  Provi 
dence  always  supreme,  that  where  the  rules  of 
rectitude  are  abandoned,  whatever  present  grati 
fication  may  be  obtained,  solid  and  permanent 
prosperity  cannot  possibly  be  secured? 

While  engaged  in  preparing  both  for  his  own 
return,  and  the  establishment  of  the  infant  colony, 
Columbus  heard  that  another  vessel  had  anchored 
at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island.  Knowing  that 
his  own  ships  alone  had  penetrated  thus  far  across 
the  ocean,  he  at  once  concluded  that  it  was  the 
Pinta,  and  immediately  dispatched  a  canoe  with 
an  earnest  request  that  Pinzon  would  lose  no  time 
in  rejoining  him.  The  canoe  returned  unsuccess 
ful  ;  and  Columbus  was  now  oppressed  by  anxiety 
respecting  his  own  circumstances.  The  remain 
ing  caravel  was  scarcely  seaworthy,  and  a  long 
voyage  over  a  stormy  ocean  was  before  him.  The 
wreck  of  this  one  vessel,  he  felt,  would  amount 


DISCOVERY  OF   CUBA  AND   HISPANIOLA.     145 

to  the  failure  of  the  whole  voyage.  Who  should 
then  convey  information  to  Spain,  of  the  discover 
ies  he  had  effected?  And  who,  when  nothing 
was  ever  heard  of  the  first  voyagers,  would  ven 
ture  to  undertake  a  similar  enterprise  ?  But  his 
mind  was  not  constituted  to  yield  to  difficulties 
when  an  important  object  was  before  him.  His 
uniform  plan  w^as  to  prepare  to  encounter  them 
wisely,  and,  by  thus  encountering,  to  surmount 
them. 

The  first  thing  to  be  accomplished  was  the 
erection  of  the  fortress ;  and  tins,  by  the  constant 
labor  of  the  men,  assisted  by  the  friendly  Indians, 
was  completed  in  less  than  a  fortnight.  From 
the  number  who  wished  to  remain,  he  selected 
thirty-nine  in  whom  he  thought  he  could  place 
most  confidence,  and  appointed  the  officers  who 
should  command  in  his  absence.  He  gave  them 
rules  for  their  conduct  both  to  each  other  and  to 
the  natives ;  rules  which,  had  they  been  observed 
with  a  fidelity  corresponding  to  the  wisdom  with 
which  they  were  framed,  would  have  prevented 


146  COLUMBUS. 

the  first  records  of  European  colonization  in  the 
West  Indies,  in  St.  Domingo  especially,  from 
being  inscribed  in  characters  of  blood,  and  the 
natives  would  not  have  seen,  in  the  first  Chris 
tians  whose  character  they  were  called  to  con 
template,  the  exemplifications  of  sensuality, 
rapine,  and  tyranny. 

As  soon  as  the  fortress  was  completed,  the 
remaining  caravel  was  got  ready  for  the  home 
ward  voyage,  and  on  the  4th  of  January,  1493, 
Columbus  left  La  Navidad,  and  directed  his 
adventurous  prow  toward  Spain.  On  the  6th, 
before  they  were  clear  of  the  coast,  a  sailor  from 
the  mast-head  gave  the  information  that  he  saw 
a  sail  at  a  distance,  approaching  them  with  a 
favorable  wind.  This  proved  to  be  the  long- 
missing  Pint  a.  When  Pinzon  came  on  board, 
he  attributed  the  separation  of  the  vessels  to 
stress  of  weather ;  and  Columbus  wishing  to 
avoid  nil  altercation,  appeared  to  believe  him.  It 
was  afterwards,  however,  ascertained  that  Pinzon 
had  purposely  taken  the  direction  that  he  did ; 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.        147 

that  he  had  been  for  some  time  at  the  eastern 
part  of  Hispaniola,  and  had  collected  a  considera 
ble  quantity  of  gold,  half  of  which  he  had  retained 
for  himself,  and  divided  the  remainder  among 
his  crew  to  purchase  their  secrecy.  He  had  like 
wise  carried  off  four  Indian  men  and  two  girls, 
to  be  sold  for  slaves  in  Spain.  Columbus  sailed 
to  the  place  where  Pinzon  had  so  long  been,  and 
though  with  great  opposition  from  him,  ordered 
the  Indians  to  be  restored. 

He  then  sailed  into  a  large  bay,  still  farther 
east,  where  he  found  the  natives  very  savage  and 
ferocious.  For  the  first  time,  hostilities  broke 
out,  and  in  the  skirmish  several  Indians  were 
slain.  On  the  following  day,  however,  the 
cacique  and  his  people,  conscious,  perhaps,  of  the 
immeasurable  superiority  which  their  fire-arms 
gave  to  the  whites,  were  as  peaceable  as  though 
nothing  had  occurred  of  a  contrary  nature,  and 
received  with  thankfulness  the  presents  which 
were  made  to  them.  The  name  of  this  cacique 
of  "  Ciquay "  was  Mayonabex  :  he  subsequently 


148  COLUMBUS. 

was  found  acting,  in  very  trying  circumstances, 
with  much  courage  and  magnanimity.  On 
leaving  this  bay,  four  young  Indians  were  taken 
along  with  them,  as  guides  to  the  islands  where 
the  warlike  Caribs  were  reported  to  dwell,  still 
farther  to  the  east.  The  men,  however,  began  to 
be  impatient  for  their  return  ;  and,  as  the  wind 
was  favorable,  he  resolved  now  to  prosecute  his 
voyage  directly  for  home,  and  leave  the  task  of 
proceeding  with  his  discoveries  for  his  next  visit. 
They  sailed  eastward,  meeting  with  variable 
weather,  till  the  12th  of  February,  when  they  had 
made  such  progress  that  they  began  to  rejoice  in 
the  hope  of  soon  seeing  land.  On  that  day,  how 
ever,  a  violent  storm  came  on,  in  the  course  of 
which  the  Pinta  was  again  separated  from  them. 
For  some  time  they  were  in  imminent  danger  of 
perishing,  and  numerous  vows  of  penances  and 
pilgrimages  were  made  to  be  performed  should 
they  be  permitted  to  escape  from  the  fury  of 
winds  and  waves.  The  mind  of  the  intrepid 
admiral  was  especially  exercised.  If,  as  he  feared, 


DISCOVERY   OF  CUBA   AND    HISPANIOLA.        149 

the  Pinta  was  lost,  the  whole  account  of  his 
discoveries  would  remain  in  his  own  ship,  now 
scarcely  seaworthy.  That  the  memory  of  his 
expedition  should  perish  was  more  distressing  to 
him  even  than  the  thoughts  of  his  children, 
orphans  as  they  then  would  be.  To  guard  as  far 
as  possible  against  this,  he  wrote  an  account  of 
his  discoveries  on  parchment,  placed  it  in  the 
midst  of  a  cake  of  wax,  and  fastening  the  whole 
in  a  cask,  so  constructed  as  to  be  water-tight,  he 
cast  it  into  the  sea. 

After  the  third  day,  happily,  the  storm  abated, 
and  on  the  15th  of  February  they  came  in  sight 
of  St.  Mary's,  the  southern  island  of  the  Azores, 
belonging  to  the  King  of  Portugal.  The  wind, 
however,  was  so  baffling  that  it  was  two  or  three 
days  before  they  could  anchor.  There  fresh 
trials  awaited  them.  The  Portuguese  monarch, 
jealous  of  the  undertaking  which  he  had  at  first 
refused  to  patronize,  had  issued  orders  to  the 
governers  of  the  different  settlements,  if  Colum 
bus,  returning,  should  call  at  any  of  them,  to 


150  COLUMBUS. 

seize  and  detain  him.  Several  attempts  were  here 
made  with  this  object,  but  they  proved  unsuccess 
ful  ;  and  on  February  24th  he  was  permitted  to 
depart  for  Spain.  He  soon  experienced  a  renewal 
of  the  tempestuous  weather,  and  was  for  several 
days  in  greater  danger  than  ever.  Land  was  at 
length  seen ;  and  though  it  was  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tagus,  and  he  had  reason  to  doubt  of  the 
reception  he  should  meet  in  Portugal,  such  was 
the  shattered  state  of  his  vessel  that  no  choice 
was  left  him  ;  and  in  the  afternoon  of  March  4th 
he  anchored  in  the  river,  bringing  to  Europe  the 
momentous  intelligence  of  the  discovery  of  a  new 
quarter  of  the  globe. 

Columbus  lost  no  time  in  sending  a  messenger 
to  the  king  and  queen  of  Spain.  At  Lisbon  all 
was  astonishment.  He  was  invited  to  the  court, 
where  those  who  had  opposed  his  project,  when 
first  presented  there,  were  filled  with  envy  at  his 
success.  By  the  king,  however,  he  was  received 
generously,  though  he  now  deeply  regretted  his 
former  conduct,  and  refused  to  listen  to  proposals 


DISCOVERY  OF  CUBA  AND   HISPANIOLA.      151 

made  for  the  detention,  and  even  the  assassina 
tion,  of  the  bold  and  skilful  navigator,  who  had 
himself  realized  the  predictions  which  so  many 
had  scoffed.  He  was  permitted  to  seat  himself 
in  the  royal  presence.  The  most  eager  attention 
was  paid  to  the  account  he  gave  of  his  voyage  and 
its  results  ;  and  orders  were  given  that  whatever 
he  needed  to  recruit  his  sailors  and  repair  his 
vessel  should  be  furnished  free  of  cost.  He  was 
escorted  back  to  his  ship  by  a  numerous  train, 
calling  on  his  way  at  a  monastery  where  the 
queen  was  with  the  ladies  of  her  court,  to  whom 
likewise  he  recited  his  wonderful  adventures. 

At  length,  all  being  ready  for  sea,  he  left  the 
Tagus  on  the  13th  of  March,  sailing  southward 
along  a  well-known  coast ;  and  in  two  days,  on 
the  15th,  seven  months  and  a  half  after  having 
quitted  it  on  the  greatest  enterprise  of  modern 
times,  he  entered  the  harbor  of  Palos.  And  who 
can  tell  the  feelings  with  which  he  wonlu  sail  into 
the  place  near  which  he  had  experienced  so  much 
anxiety?  Who  can  tell  the  feelings  with  which 


152  COLUMBUS. 

the  vessel  would  be  seen  by  the  inhabitants? 
From  the  midst  of  them  the  crew  had  been  taken. 
The  departure  of  the  little  fleet  had  been  wit 
nessed  with  almost  hopeless  despondency.  Few 
expected  to  behold  their  friends  again, —  scarcely 
any  to  witness  their  return  in  the  full  triumph  of 
success.  Who  can  doubt  that  when  the  ship  was 
recognized,  the  tidings  would  be  even  rapturously 
communicated?  From  house  to  house  the  cry 
would  be,  '  Columbus  is  come  back  !  " 

It  was  soon  known  that  he  had  discovered  new 
countries,  some  of  the  productions  and  inhabitants 
of  which  were  on  board.  All  business  for  that 
day  came  to  an  end.  The  bells  rang  merrily; 
and,  happily,  what  soon  might  have  been  cause 
of  mourning  was  removed.  Of  three  vessels  that 
had  sailed  only  one  had  entered  the  port;  but 
almost  before  there  was  time  to  inquire  whether 
mourning  for  the  lost  was  to  be  mingled  with  joy 
for  the  found,  —  before  night  set  in,  and  the  time 
for  fireside  reflection  came,  —  the  Pinta  entered 
the  harbor,  and  anchored  by  the  side  of  her  com- 


DISCOVERY  OF   CUBA  AND    HISPANIOLA.       153 

rade.  They  had  been  driven  by  stress  of  weather 
into  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  and  had  put  into  the  port 
of  Bayonne,  whence  Pinzon  had  written  to  court, 
informing  the  monarchs  of  the  discoveries  that 
had  been  made,  and  requesting  permission  to  state 
what  had  occurred  personally.  He  then  sailed 
for  Palos,  hoping  that  he  would  arrive  there  first ; 
but  he  was  disappointed.  He  landed  privately,  an 
exception  to  the  general  joy ;  a  melancholy,  and  a 
most  instructive  example  of  the  evil  of  yielding 
to  temptation,  and  departing  from  the  track  of 
duty. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  who  had  been  con 
vinced  of  the  soundness  of  the  arguments  of 
Columbus ;  had  stood  by  him,  along  with  the 
prior  of  the  convent  of  Rabida,  when  he  was 
almost  friendless ;  and  when  it  had  been  re 
solved  to  undertake  the  voyage,  he  had  not  only 
employed  all  his  influence  in  its  favor,  but 
embarked  his  property  in  the  enterprise,  and 
courageously  resolved  personally  to  share  all  its 
dangers.  Unhappily,  when  its  main  object  had 


154  COLUMBUS. 

been  secured,  whether  prompted  by  envy  or  by 
avarice,  he  allowed  himself  to  be  subdued  by  the 
desire  of  appropriating  its  honors  to  himself,  and 
departed  from  his  associates ;  both  hoping  to 
acquire  more  wealth  and  to  be  the  first  to  an 
nounce  success.  Even  after  rejoining  Columbus, 
before  they  left  the  new  world  behind  them,  the 
jealousy  remained  rankling  in  his  bosom. 

It  is  a  melancholy  fact,  and  one  that  is  substan 
tiated  by  all  researches  into  the  moral  nature  of 
man,  that  a  merely  human  repentance,  is  seldom 
powerful  enough  to  induce  one  who  has  done 
wrong,  to  thoroughly  forgive  those  whom  he  has 
attempted  to  injure.  The  doer  of  wrong  is  often 
far  more  resentful  than  he  is  who  suffers  it. 
Pinzon  soon  received  letters  forbidding  his 
appearance  at  court,  and  censuring  his  desertion 
of  his  superior  officer.  To  physical  weakness, 
mental  suffering  was  now  added,  and  their  united 
influence  brought  him  in  a  few  days  to  his  tomb. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RECEPTION  IN   SPAIN. 

THE  first  act  of  Columbus  on  landing  at 
Palos,  was  what  might  have  been  antici 
pated.  He  had  returned  in  safety  from  a  difficult 
and  dangerous  voyage.  He  had  achieved  a  dis 
covery,  whose  importance  far  exceeded  even  his 
powers  of  estimation.  Deeply  impressed  by  the 
goodness  of  God,  both  in  preserving  him,  and 
making  him  the  instrument  of  bringing  such 
information  before  the  world,  he  and  his  men,  as 
soon  as  he  landed,  walked  in  procession  to  the 
church.  Going  and  returning,  his  progress  was 
almost  like  an  ancient  triumph.  The  joyous 
shout  of  the  people  filled  the  air  as  this  procession 
of  mariners,  with  the  hero  of  discovery  at  their 
head,  passed  along  the  crowded  streets.  What  an 

155 


156  COLUMBUS. 

instance  of  the  value  of  persevering  toil,  in  obedi 
ence  to  well-studied  conviction !  Six  years  pre 
viously,  he  had  landed  at  that  very  place  with  his 
youthful  son,  an  obscure  individual,  so  destitute 
that  he  was  glad  to  receive  the  kindly-bestowed 
alms  of  the  convent  near  which  he  had  to  pass ; 
his  only  wealth,  the  conviction  of  which  he  never 
lost  hold,  the  existence  of  a  new  world  beyond 
the  stormy  Atlantic.  Through  difficulties  and 
discouragements,  and  finally  through  dangers,  to 
this  conviction  he  was  faithful.  He  persevered, 
succeeded,  and  obtained  his  recompense. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella  were  then  holding  their 
court  at  Barcelona  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  received 
the  news  of  the  return  of  Columbus,  they  sent 
for  him  to  give  the  account  of  his  proceedings. 
Barcelona  is  almost  at  the  northern  extremity  of 
the  eastern  coast  of  Spain,  as  Palos  is  almost  at 
the  southern  extremity  of  its  western  coast.  Co 
lumbus  would  have  to  traverse  Spain  by  nearly 
its  longest  diagonal.  Three  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago  travelling  was  much  less  expeditious 


RECEPTION  IN  SPAIN.  159 

than  at  the  present  day.  He  had  to  take  with 
him,  to  exhibit  to  his  royal  master  and  mistress, 
both  the  natives  of  the  Western  Indies  and  the 
specimens  of  the  various  productions  of  the  islands 
which  he  had  brought  home.  His  progress  was, 
therefore,  unavoidably  slow. 

"He  took  with  him  on  his  journey,"  says  Mr. 
Prescott,  "  specimens  of  the  multifarious  products 
of  the  newly-discovered  region."  He  was  accom 
panied  by  several  of  the  native  islanders,  arrayed 
in  their  simple  barbaric  costume,  decorated  with 
collars,  bracelets,  and  other  ornaments  of  gold, 
rudely  fashioned.  He  exhibited  also  considerable 
quantities  of  the  same  metal  in  dust  or  in  crude 
masses,  numerous  vegetable  exotics  possessed  of 
aromatic  or  medicinal  virtue,  and  several  kinds  of 
quadrupeds  unknown  in  Europe,  and  birds  whose 
varieties  of  gaudy  plumage  gave  a  brilliant  effect 
to  the  pageant.  The  admiral's  progress  through 
the  country  was  everywhere  impeded  by  the  mul 
titudes  thronging  forth  to  gaze  at  the  extraordi 
nary  spectacle  and  the  more  extraordinary  man, 


160  COLUMBUS. 

who,  in  the  emphatic  language  of  that  term  which 
has  now  lost  its  force  from  its  familiarity,  first 
revealed  the  existence  of  a  "  new  world." 

"  As  he  passed  through  the  busy,  populous  city 
of  Seville,  every  window,  balcony,  and  house-top, 
which  could  afford  a  glimpse  of  him  was  crowded 
with  spectators."  The  multitude  was  increased  by 
those  from  a  distance  on  either  side  the  line  of 
road,  who  travelled  to  the  point  where  they  might 
be  able  to  see  the  astonishing  exhibition.  This 
triumphant  progress  occupied  nearly  a  month. 

"  It  was  the  middle  of  April "  (we  again  quote 
from  Mr.  Prescott)  "  before  Columbus  reached 
Barcelona.  The  nobility  and  cavaliers  in  attend 
ance  on  the  court,  together  with  the  authorities 
of  the  city,  came  to  the  gates  to  receive  him,  and 
escorted  him  to  the  royal  presence.  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  were  seated,  with  their  son  Prince 
John,  under  a  superb  canopy  of  state,  awaiting 
his  arrival.  On  his  approach  they  rose  from  their 
seats,  and,  extending  their  hands  to  him  to  salute, 
caused  him  to  be  seated  before  them.  These 


RECEPTION    IN    SPAIN.  161 

were  unprecedented  marks  of  condescension  to  a 
person  of  Columbus's  rank,  in  the  haughty  and 
ceremonious  court  of  Castile.  It  was,  indeed,  the 
proudest  moment  in  the  life  of  Columbus.  He 
had  fully  established  the  truth  of  his  long-con 
tested  theory,  in  the  face  of  argument,  sophistry, 
sneer,  scepticism  and  contempt.  He  had  achieved 
this,  not  by  chance,  but  by  calculation,  supported 
through  the  most  adverse  circumstances  by  con 
summate  conduct.  The  honors  paid  him,  which 
had  hitherto  been  reserved  only  for  rank,  or  for 
tune,  or  military  success  purchased  by  the  blood 
and  tears  of  thousands,  were,  in  his  case,  a  homage 
to  intellectual  power,  successfully  exerted  in  behalf 
of  the  noblest  interests  of  humanity. 

"  After  a  brief  interval,  the  sovereigns  re 
quested  from  Columbus  a  recital  of  his  adven 
tures.  His  manner  was  sedate  and  dignified,  but 
warmed  by  the  glow  of  natural  enthusiasm.  He 
enumerated  the  several  islands  which  he  had 
visited,  expatiated  on  the  temperate  character  of 
the  climate  and  the  capacity  of  the  soil  for  every 


162  COLUMBUS. 

variety  of  agricultural  production,  appealing  to 
the  samples  imported  by  him  as  evidence  of  their 
natural  fruitfulness.  He  dwelt  more  at  large  on 
the  precious  metals  to  be  found  in  these  islands ; 
which  he  inferred,  less  from  the  specimens  actually 
obtained  than  from  the  uniform  testimony  of  the 
natives  to  their  abundance  in  the  unexplored 
regions  of  the  interior.  Lastly,  he  pointed  out 
the  wide  scope  afforded  to  Christian  zeal  in  the 
illumination  of  a  race  of  men,  whose  minds,  far 
from  being  wedded  to  any  system  of  idolatry  were 
prepared,  by  their  extreme  simplicity,  for  the  re 
ception  of  pure  and  uncorrupted  doctrine.  This 
last  consideration  touched  Isabella's  heart  most 
sensibly ;  and  the  whole  audience,  kindled  with 
various  emotions  by  the  speaker's  eloquence,  filled 
up  the  perspective  with  the  gorgeous  coloring  of 
their  own  fancies,  as  ambition,  or  avarice,  or 
devotional  feeling,  predominated  in  their  bosoms. 
When  Columbus  ceased,  the  king  and  queen,  to 
gether  with  all  present,  prostrated  themselves  on 
their  knees  in  grateful  thanksgivings,  while  the 


RECEPTION    IN    SPAIN.  163 

solemn  strains  of  the  Te  Deum  were  poured  forth 
by  the  choir  of  the  royal  chapel  as  in  commemo 
ration  of  some  glorious  victory."  * 

Nor  was  this  all.  Another  paragraph  from  Mr. 
Fresco tt's  work  will  serve  to  complete  the  descrip 
tion  of  this,  the  highest  point  in  the  history  of 
this  great  and  celebrated  man.  "  Columbus,  dur 
ing  his  residence  at  Barcelona,  continued  to 
receive  from  the  Spanish  sovereigns  the  most 
honorable  distinctions  which  royal  bounty  could 
confer.  When  Ferdinand  rode  abroad,  he  was 
accompanied  by  the  admiral  at  his  side.  The 
courtiers,  in  emulation  of  their  master,  made  fre 
quent  entertainments,  at  which  he  was  treated 
with  the  punctilious  deference  paid  to  a  noble  of 
the  highest  class.  But  the  attentions  most  grate 
ful  to  his  lofty  spirit  were  the  preparations  of  the 
Spanish  court  for  prosecuting  his  discoveries  on 
a  scale  commensurate  with  their  importance.  A 
board  was  established  for  the  direction  of  Indian 


*  Prescotfs  History  of  the  Reign  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  the 
Catholic,  of  Spain,  vol.  ii.  pp.  148 — 151. 


164  COLUMBTTS. 

affairs,  consisting  of  a  superintendent  and  two 
subordinate  functionaries.  The  first  of  these 
officers  was  Juan  de  Fonseca,  Archdeacon  of  Se 
ville,  an  active,  ambitious  prelate,  subsequently 
raised  to  high  episcopal  preferment.  His  shrewd 
ness  and  capacity  for  business  enabled  him  to 
maintain  the  control  of  the  Indian  department 
during  the  whole  of  the  present  reign.  An  office 
for  the  transaction  of  business  was  instituted  at 
Seville,  and  a  custom-house  placed  under  its  direc 
tion  at  Cadiz.  This  was  the  origin  of  the  impor 
tant  establishment  of  the  Casa  de  la  Contrata- 
cion  de  las  Indias,  or  India  House." 

As  to  heraldic  honors,  Columbus  was  permitted 
to  quarter  the  royal  arms  with  his  own,  which  con 
sisted  of  a  group  of  golden  islands  amid  azure 
billows.  To  these  were  afterwards  added  five 
anchors,  with  the  celebrated  motto,  well  known 
as  being  carved  on  his  sepulchre.  He  received 
besides  the  substantial  gratuity  of  a  thousand 
doublas  of  gold  from  the  royal  treasury,  and  the 


RECEPTION    IN    SPAIN. 


165 


ARMS     OF    COLUMBUS. 

premium  of  ten  thousand  maravedises,  promised  to 
the  person  who  first  described  land.* 

*The  motto,  afterwards  inscribed  on  the  costly  monument 
erected  over  his  remains  in  the  cathedral  at  Seville,  by  King 
Ferdinand,  was  a  pretty  homely  Spanish  rhyme,  easily  imitated 
in  English  rhyme  of  the  same  character. 

"  A  Castillo,  y  a  Leon  fi  Castle  and  Aaragon  now  have  a  new 
Nuevo  mundo  dto  Colon"  World,  which  Columbus  gave" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHARACTER   AND   WORK  OF  COLUMBUS. 

THE  remaining  portion  of  the  life  of  Colum 
bus  may  be  given  with  far  more  brevity 
than  the  former  two  portions  allowed.  His  early 
history,  the  gradual  formation  of  the  grand  idea 
of  discovery  beyond  the  hitherto  unpassed  Atlan 
tic,  and  his  persevering  efforts  to  procure  the 
means  of  its  realization,  constitute  the  first  part ; 
remarkable  as  exhibiting  the  workings  of  a  mind 
at  once  thoughtfully  calculating  and  ardent, 
searching  long  and  thoroughly  before  deciding, 
but  deciding  once  for  all,  maintaining  the  decision 
with  firmness,  and  willing  to  venture  life  and 
everything  on  the  experiment. 

Not  less  remarkable  is  the  second  part,  which 
contains  the  performance  of  the  experiment  itself. 

166 


CHABACTEB   AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      167 

Never  were  apparently  opposite  qualities  shown 
in  combination  more  complete,  decisive,  or  exem 
plary.  Bold,  to  the  very  appearance  of  rashness ; 
the  boldness  was  the  product  of  entire  conviction, 
as  the  conviction  was  the  effect  of  long  and  care 
ful  research.  Ardent  even  to  enthusiasm,  the 
ardency  was  the  fire  of  slow-collected  thought, 
whose  massive  solidity  was  not  easily  nor  quickly 
enkindled ;  but  which,  once  enkindled,  burnt 
with  a  vehemence  which  no  obstacle  could  resist, 
and  with  a  steadiness  which  no  delay  could 
quench.  Along  with  this  ardor  there  was  a  patient 
intrepidity  which  no  danger  could  terrify,  and 
which  knew  equally  how  to  advance  and  how  to 
wait.  In  few  men  have  the  elements  of  greatness 
of  character  existed  in  such  happy  proportion  ; 
each  contributing  to  the  strength  of  the  whole, 
and  all  in  harmony  with  each  other. 

The  third  and  concluding  part  of  the  life  of 
Columbus  is  evidently  a  portion  of  the  grand  epic  ; 
suggesting  lessons  not  less  deserving  of  study 
than  those  by  which  it  was  preceded;  but  the 


168  COLUMBUS. 

events  which  it  includes  do  not  demand  the  same 
minuteness  of  attention.  It  was  in  a  new  charac 
ter  that  he  undertook  his  second  voyage.  Before, 
he  opened  the  way  by  which  subsequent  laborers 
had  to  proceed.  But  on  his  return  from  his  first 
voyage,  the  work  of  original  discovery  was  com 
pleted.  Had  he  paused  here,  his  character  as  a 
discoverer  would  have  stood  as  high  as  it  now  does. 
The  problem  was  solved.  Others  might  follow 
out  the  work  of  its  practical  application.  Now, 
having  forced  the  entry,  he  returned,  not  that 
others  might  pass  through  the  door  which  he  had 
found  and  opened,  but  that  he  himself  might  in 
this  respect  also  be  the  leader  of  his  followers. 
To  him  was  the  double  honor  allotted,  first,  of 
being  the  discoverer  of  the  New  World,  and,  sec 
ondly,  of  being  the  first  of  a  long  list  of  enter 
prising  travellers  who  have  labored  at  the  task 
of  particular  description.  This  part  of  his  history 
will  be  found  to  belong  rather  to  the  man  —  to 
his  history  in  his  more  fully  developed  character  — 
than  in  his  more  largely  prosecuted  works. 


CHARACTER   AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      169 

The  opinion  entertained  by  Columbus,  that 
Cuba  was  the  end  of  the  Asiatic  continent,  was 
likewise  generally  adopted.  Disputes  might  there 
fore  arise  on  the  subject  with  the  crown  of  Portu 
gal,  to  which  all  discoveries  to  the  east  had  been 
confirmed  by  a  papal  bull.  Ferdinand  now  solici 
ted  a  similar  authority  for  those  made  by  his 
officers.  The  reigning  pontiff  was  Alexander  VI., 
a  man  eminent  for  vice,  but  crafty  and  able.  In 
his  application  Ferdinand  had  been  careful  to  in 
sinuate  that  he  should  maintain  his  rights  by  force, 
if  they  were  not  otherwise  confirmed.  A  bull  was 
therefore  issued,  dated  May  2nd,  1493.*  An  ideal 
line  was  drawn  from  pole  to  pole,  a  hundred 
leagues  west  of  the  Azores ;  and  to  all  countries 
discovered  westward  of  this  line  the  pope  granted 
the  same  rights  as  were  possessed  by  the  Portu- 

*In  consequence  of  subsequent  disputes  between  the  two 
crowns,  another  bull  was  issued  June  4th,  1494,  removing  the 
dividing  line  to  three  hundred  and  seventy  leagues  west  of  the 
Cape  de  Yerde  Islands.  A  singular  consequence  of  this  altera 
tion  was,  that  Brazil  became  the  property  of  Portugal. 


170  COLUMBDS. 

guese  in  regard  to  those  which  lay  to  its  east 
ward.  The  pretended  successor  of  the  apostle 
who  said,  "  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,"  thus 
claimed  the  right  of  partitioning  the  world  be 
tween  contending  sovereigns !  Thus,  however, 
confirmed,  as  he  believed,  in  the  legitimate  posses 
sion  of  his  claims,  Ferdinand  lost  no  time  in 
causing  a  second  expedition  to  be  fitted  out. 
Twelve  ecclesiastics  were  likewise  to  accompany 
it,  to  promote  among  the  Indians  the  work  of  con 
version  to  the  Roman  faith.  And  as  now  there 
was  no  suspicion  of  anything  chimerical  in  the 
undertaking,  the  preparations  were  more  on  a 
scale  corresponding  to  its  admitted  importance 
and  magnitude. 

The  excitement  occasioned  by  the  recital  of 
Columbus  brought  him  many  adventurers,  re 
questing  to  be  permitted  to  accompany  him. 
Some  were  influenced  by  avarice,  some  by  the 
love  of  romantic  enterprise.  Among  the  cavaliers 
was  one  of  the  name  of  Alonso  de  Ojeda,  a  young 
man  of  good  family,  and  expert  in  all  that  was 


CHARACTER   AND   WORK   OF    COLUMBUS.      171 

then  considered  necessary  for  a  brave  and  accom 
plished  cavalier.  During  the  preparation,  disputes 
several  times  arose  between  Columbus  and  the 
persons  employed  to  superintend  it.  This  was 
particularly  the  case  with  Juan  de  Fonseca,  an 
able  but  malignant  and  vindictive  ecclesiastic. 
Columbus  had  to  appeal  to  Ferdinand,  who  de 
cided  in  his  favor,  and  even  repremanded  Fonseca. 
But  in  this  victory  were  the  seeds  of  future  ill. 
Fonseca  became  the  bitter  enemy  of  Columbus ; 
and  from  his  position  at  the  head  of  Indian  affairs, 
which  he  maintained  for  thirty  years,  he  had  many 
opportunities  of  gratifying  his  rancorous  temper; 
and  in  after  times  Columbus  was  made  repeatedly 
to  feel  this,  and  at  length  to  drink  to  the  very 
dregs  the  cup  of  degradation. 

If  the  departure  from  Palos  on  the  first  voyage 
was  gloomy,  the  second,  from  Cadiz,  was  alto 
gether  of  a  different  character.  There  were  three 
large  ships  of  heavy  burden,  and  fourteen  caravels. 
The  number  of  men  permitted  to  sail  was  one 
thousand  ;  but  some  were  permitted  to  go  without 


172  COLUMBUS. 

pay,  and  others,  so  great  was  the  enthusiasm,  em 
barked  by  stealth,  so  that  on  the  whole  Columbus 
was  accompanied  by  fifteen  hundred  persons. 
Crowds  thronged  all  the  way  to  the  shore,  and 
he  put  off  with  the  acclamations  of  the  joyous 
multitude.  He  first  sailed  direct  to  the  Canaries, 
where  he  took  on  board  live  stock,  plants,  and 
seeds  for  Hispaniola.  Departing  for  his  main 
voyage,  October  13th,  he  lost  sight  of  Ferro 
(north  latitude  about  27  1-2°),  and  steered  nearly 
a  south-westerly  course,  which  brought  him  to 
land  much  earlier,  as  the  Antilles  lie  about  in  60° 
west  longitude,  ranging  from  20°  to  10°  north 
latitude. 

At  day-break,  November  2,  twenty-eight  days 
sooner  than  on  his  former  voyage,  he  came  to 
an  island,  to  which,  having  been  first  seen  on 
the  Sunday,  he  gave  the  name  of  Dominica. 
Guadaloupe  was  next  discovered,  a  little  to  the 
north ;  and  here  the  Spaniards  first  saw  the  pine 
apple.  Traces  of  cannibalism  were  likewise  per 
ceived.  Others  of  the  Caribbean  islands  were 


CHARACTER  AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      173 

discovered.  At  one  of  them,  where  the  inhab 
itants  were  very  ferocious,  the  Spaniards  had  an 
encounter  with  them,  in  which  the  women  fought 
as  desperately  as  the  men.  One  of  the  Spaniards 
died  a  few  days  after,  from  a  wound  by  a 
poisoned  arrow.  Keeping  to  the  westward,  the 
large  island  of  Porto  Rico  was  discovered,  from 
the  western  extremity  of  which,  to  the  eastern 
cape  of  St.  Domingo  was  a  plain  sail  of  about 
sixty  miles,  lie  arrived  there  November  22nd. 

Touching  one  day  on  the  coast,  on  their  way  to 
La  Navidad,  two  or  three  bodies  were  found  on 
the  shore,  in  a  state  of  decay,  but  with  evident 
marks  of  violence.  One  of  them  at  least  was  a 
European.  This  event  produced  the  utmost  anx 
iety  for  the  colony,  to  which  they  now  hastened, 
and  arriving  there  on  the  27th  of  November, 
had  their  worst  fears  realized.  After  much  in 
quiry,  it  was  found  that  the  Spaniards  had 
quarrelled  among  themselves,  and  instead  of 
either  industriously  prosecuting  the  designs  of 
Columbus,  or  keeping  good  order,  many  spent 


174  COLUMBUS. 

their  time  indolently  among  the  Indians.  A 
neighboring  cacique,  a  Carib,  by  name  Caonabo, 
formed  the  design  of  surprising  them.  He  did 
so  most  effectually.  He  came  by  night  on  the 
fortress,  in  which  were  only  ten  men ;  the  rest 
were  in  the  village,  where  they  were  living 
in  sensual,  lawless  security.  The  Spaniards  in 
the  fort  all  lost  their  lives.  The  friendly  Indians 
were  defeated,  and  many  of  the  whites  massa 
cred,  and  the  settlement  was  completely  broken 
up.  Neither  gold  nor  any  other  valuable  articles 
had  been  collected,  and  the  conquerors  had 
carried  off  the  property  of  the  white  men  as 
their  booty. 

Columbus,  however  deeply  he  felt  the  occur 
rence,  lost  no  time  in  seeking  to  remedy  it. 
He  chose  a  better  place,  by  a  harbor  ten  leagues 
to  the  eastward,  in  a  strong  position,  for  his 
projected  colony,  where  he  laid  the  foundation 
of  a  town.  And  now  began  his  troubles.  'They 
who,  accompanied  him  had  expected  to  live  an 
easy  life,  and  to  collect  gold  almost  at  their 


CHARACTER  AND  WORK  OF  COLUMBUS      175 

will.  When  they  were  called  to  labor  in  the 
construction  of  the  buildings,  and  found  out  that 
gold  was  only  to  be  collected  gradually,  and 
with  care,  they  became  dissatisfied  and  turbu 
lent.  Columbus  saw  that  the  prospect  before 
him  was  full  of  difficulties.  He  had  also  prom 
ised  to  send  some  of  the  vessels  back  to  Spain, 
with  the  gold  and  other  articles,  which  he  ex 
pected  to  find  ready.  Nothing  was  provided. 

An  expedition  into  the  interior  was  planned, 
under  the  command  of  Don  Alonso  de  Ojeda. 
On  reaching  the  mountains,  they  saw  that  the 
gold  was  contained  in  the  sands  of  the  rivers 
flowing  down  from  them.  They  brought  home 
all  they  could  find.  Ojeda  picked  up  a  mass  of 
rude  gold  weighing  nine  ounces.  Columbus  sent 
seven  caravels  back  to  Spain,  as  well  loaded  as 
his  circumstances  allowed,  and  detailed  the  his 
tory  of  the  disasters  which  had  occurred.  But  in 
the  colony  the  seeds  of  anger  and  sedition  were 
rapidly  growing.  A  conspiracy  was  formed, 
headed  by  the  comptroller,  to  take  advantage 


176  COLUMBUS. 

of  an  illness  of  Columbus  (brought  on  by  anx 
iety  and  fatigue,  and  which,  for  some  time,  con 
fined  him  to  his  bed),  to  seize  on  the  ships  in 
the  harbor,  and  return  to  Spain.  It  was  discov 
ered  before  it  broke  out.  The  leader  was  sent 
home  to  Spain  for  trial ;  and  others  were  punished 
though  not  as  they  deserved. 

And  now  another  difficulty  became  apparent. 
Columbus  was  a  foreigner,  with  no  friends  in 
Spain  but  those  procured  by  his  merits.  The  con 
spirators  were  Spaniards;  with  whom  even  the 
better-disposed  sympathized  as  their  fellow-coun 
trymen;  and  at  home  their  connections  were 
numerous,  —  of  some  of  them,  powerful.  Hoping 
that  activity  would  calm  the  disturbed  spirits  of 
his  people,  he  projected  a  powerful  expedition 
into  the  interior,  which  he  commenced  on  the 
12th  of  March,  leaving  his  brother  Diego  to  com 
mand  at  Isabella  (the  name  of  the  new  city) 
during  his  absence.  They  penetrated  into  the 
region  where  gold  was  most  plentiful,  and  in 
one  place  he  began  to  build  a  fortress,  naming  it 


CHARACTER  AND   WORK   OF   COLUMBUS.      179 

St.  Thomas.  The  inhabitants  were  found  to  be 
like  those  hitherto  met ;  and  having  acquired  all 
the  information  in  his  power,  he  returned,  with 
the  gold  and  other  articles  gathered  in  the  prog 
ress,  to  Isabella.  Alarming  intelligence  soon  ar 
rived  from  Fort  St.  Thomas.  The  Indians  had 
become  unfriendly,  and  an  attack  from  Caonabo 
was  anticipated.  To  render  this  still  more  dis 
tressing,  maladies,  arising  from  change  of  climate 
and  diet,  had  broken  out  among  the  colonists, 
augmenting  the  prevalent  dissatisfaction. 

He  made  what  arrangements  he  could  for  the 
safety  of  the  people,  established  a  junta  of  gov 
ernment  under  his  brother  Diego,  and  leaving  two 
of  his  largest  vessels  in  the  harbor,  on  the  29th 
of  April  sailed  for  further  discoveries  in  Cuba. 
He  resolved  to  coast  along  its  south  side,  hoping 
to  arrive  at  the  dominions  of  the  Grand  Khau, 
an  illusion  which,  in  one  form  or  another,  influ 
enced  him  to  the  last.  After  having  pursued  this 
course  some  days,  and  still  being  pointed  to  the 
south  for  the  golden  country,  on  the  2nd  of  May 


180  COLUMBUS. 

he  steered  in  that  direction,  and  soon  came  in 
sight  of  Jamaica.  He  found  the  inhabitants  both 
more  ingenious  and  warlike  than  those  of  Cuba 
and  Hayti ;  but  after  coasting  to  its  western  end, 
finding  no  more  of  the  great  object  of  his  quest 
than  usual,  he  returned  to  Cuba,  and  slowly  pro 
ceeded  westward,  but  still  only  perceiving  the 
same  general  objects.  His  crews  became,  at 
length  dissatisfied ;  and  though  they  would  soon 
have  arrived  at  the  western  extremity,  insisted  so 
strongly  on  returning  that  he  was  obliged  to  com 
ply.  Again  touching  at  Jamaica,  August  20th  he 
made  the  western  end  of  Hayti,  sailed  along  the 
southern  coast  of  the  island,  and  had  resolved  to 
complete  the  discovery  of  the  Caribbean  islands, 
when,  worn  out  by  the  fatigues  and  anxieties  he 
had  experienced  since  his  arrival,  his  health  en 
tirely  gave  way;  he  sank  into  a  death-like  leth 
argy  and  in  a  state  of  insensibility  was  conveyed 
to  Isabella. 

After   recovering   his   recollection,  he   rejoiced 
to  see  his  brother    Bartolomeo,     who,  after  his 


CHARACTER   AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      181 

journey  to  England,  had  been  captured  by  a  cor 
sair  on  his  return,  and  did  not  reach  Spain  till 
after  his  brother  had  left  on  his  second  voyage. 
As  he  was  an  able  navigator,  the  sovereigns  in 
trusted  him  with  the  command  of  three  vessels 
with  supplies  for  the  new  settlements ;  and  he 
had  arrived  at  Isabella  just  before  Columbus  was 
brought  there  dangerously  ill.  He  was  the  more 
thankful  for  this  arrival  of  one  in  whose  fidelity 
and  talents  he  could  repose  implicit  confidence, 
because,  in  his  absence,  avarice,  licentiousness, 
indolence,  and  pride,  had  done  their  work,  and 
the  whole  island  was  a  scene  of  violence  and  dis 
cord.  The  cacique,  Caonabo,  had  taken  advan 
tage  of  the  Spanish  dissensions,  and  by  craft 
and  bravery  the  savage  warrior-chief  had  sought 
the  destruction  of  the  new  comers.  The  vigi 
lance,  courage,  and  activity  of  Don  Alonzo  de 
Ojeda,  however,  combined  with  European  disci 
pline,  and  the  possession  of  firearms,  rendered 
his  attacks  abortive;  but  hostilities  were  un 
ceasing,  and  the  affairs  of  the  colony  in  the 


182  COLUMBUS. 

most  critical  condition.  Dissatisfaction,  too,  was 
extensive.  Labor  and  fighting  were  not  the 
objects  for  which  the  majority  had  left  Spain ; 
and,  in  the  bitterness  of  disappointment,  they 
considered  themselves  as  injured  by  Columbus. 

His  great  object,  however,  was  the  defeat  of 
the  hostile  Indians.  By  a  bold  stratagem,  con 
ceived  and  executed  by  Ojeda,  he  obtained  pos 
session  of  the  person  of  his  most  dangerous  foe, 
Caonabo,  who  was  imprisoned,  though  otherwise 
treated  well.  His  brother  raised  a  force  for  his 
rescue,  but  was  defeated  by  Ojeda.  Soon  after, 
Columbus  sent  some  vessels  to  Spain,  with  re 
ports  of  his  progress,  and  everything  valuable  he 
had  been  able  to  collect ;  and  knowing  that  among 
those  who  had  returned  were  two  of  his  chief 
enemies, — Friar  Buyl,  and  a  Catalonian  officer, 
Margarite,  to  whom  the  command  of  the  fortress 
of  St.  Thomas  had  first  been  entrusted,  but  who 
had  been  removed  for  misbehavior,  —  he  sent  his 
brother  Diego  to  explain  the  real  state  of  things, 
and  to  defend  his  authority  and  character. 


CHARACTER    AND   WORK   OF   COLUMBUS.      183 

Iii  March,  1495,  Columbus  learned  that  several 
caciques  had  united  their  forces,  and  were  pre 
paring  to  attack  the  Spaniards.  He  resolved  to 
anticipate  their  schemes;  and,  on  the  27th  of 
March,  formed  all  the  men  who  were  available 
for  the  purpose,  into  a  company.  This  amounted 
only  to  two  hundred  infantry  and  twenty  horse. 
With  this  little  army  he  marched  to  meet  the 
foe ;  taking  along  with  him  twenty  blood-hounds, 
that  animal  being  already  introduced  into  West 
Indian  service.  In  a  few  days  by  rapid  marches, 
they  came  to  the  vega^  or  plain,  where  a  vast 
number  of  Indians  were  collected.  The  plain  was 
nearly  surrounded  by  forests,  from  the  shelter 
of  which  the  attack  was  made;  at  first  with 
fire-arms;  and  then,  when  the  Indians  were 
thrown  into  confusion,  they  were  charged  by 
Ojeda,  and  in  a  short  time  the  rout  was  total. 

Columbus,  on  his  return,  assumed  the  govern 
ment  of  the  whole  island,  whose  inhabitants, 
according  to  the  notions  of  the  day,  had  been 
given  as  subjects  to  the  Spanish  crown.  A  regu- 


184  COLUMBUS. 

lar  tribute  was  imposed  of  gold  and  cotton,  and 
the  natives  felt  that  their  thraldom  was  complete. 

The  enemies  of  Columbus  were  now  busily 
seeking  to  undermine  his  reputation  in  Spain. 
Saying  nothing  of  the  seditions  which  had  called 
for  punishment,  nor  of  the  idleness  and  profligacy 
which  had  sometimes  rendered  enforced  labor 
the  only  preservation  from  ruin,  they  gave  the 
worst  form  and  the  darkest  coloring  to  all  the 
acts  of  his  government,  and  even  supplied  matters 
of  well-grounded  charge.  Those,  too,  who  had 
remained  behind,  and  who  had  expected  to  be 
rich  at  once  and  to  indulge  themselves  in  slothful 
sensuality  sent  their  reports  to  their  friends  in 
various  parts  of  the  country. 

And  now  appeared  one  of  the  consequences  of 
the  mistaken  notions  of  Columbus  as  to  the  geo 
graphy  of  those  western  countries.  He  believed 
that  his  voyage  would  take  him  to  the  civilized 
and  wealthy  regions  of  Asiatic  India ;  and  when 
countries  and  people  so  different  were  discovered, 
scarcely  any  were  far-sighted  enough  to  perceive 


CHARACTER   AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      185 

the  real  benefits  that  would  ultimately  accrue. 
Disappointed  in  their  dreams  of  immediate 
wealth,  they  fell  into  the  opposite  extreme,  of 
undervaluing  the  splendid  discoveries  which  had 
actually  been  made ;  and  not  only  of  derogating 
from  the  merit  of  the  great  man  by  whose  know 
ledge  and  ability  they  had  been  achieved,  but  of 
regarding  him  as  positively  criminal.  Fonseca, 
too,  was  always  ready  to  give  credit  to  these 
charges,  and,  as  far  as  he  could,  to  enforce  them 
at  court.  Ferdinand,  as  well  as  his  enlightened 
consort,  appears  to  have  seen  through  them ;  but 
he  was  crafty  and  politic,  and  especially  desirous 
to  gain  as  much  as  he  could  at  as  little  expense  as 
was  possible,  and  to  allow  Columbus  to  possess  no 
power  that  might  at  a  subsequent  period  become 
dangerous  to  the  supreme  authority  of  the  crown. 
He  did  not,  therefore,  promptly  repel  the  unjust 
accusations,  as  did  the  more  noble-minded  and 
generous  Isabella,  who  never  allowed  her  favor 
towards  him  to  be  shadowed. 

It  was  at  length  resolved  to  send  out  one  Juan 


186  COLUMBUS. 

Aguado  to  inquire  into  the  circumstances  of  the 
colony.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  weak  and 
vain  man  ;  and  when  he  arrived  in  Hispaniola,  it 
was  soon  known  that  he  was  ready  to  receive  all 
complaints  against  Columbus.  The  consequences 
may  be  at  once  anticipated.  Every  disappointed 
man  is  ready  to  blame  any  one  rather  than  him 
self;  and  every  evil-doer  regards  the  magistrate 
as  a  tyrant.  Aguado  soon  had  abundant  materials 
for  his  report,  and  prepared  to  return  to  Spain 
with  them.  Columbus,  also,  awake  to  the  true 
position  of  affairs,  resolved  to  return  at  the  same 
time.  All  was  ready  for  their  departure,  when 
one  of  those  tremendous  storms  common  in  tropi 
cal  climes,  —  called  by  the  natives  uracanes,  hence 
"hurricanes,"  —  and  of  greater  force  than  usual, 
swept  over  the  island.  Of  the  vessels  ready  to 
sail,  three  sank  while  at  anchor,  and  all  on  board 
perished ;  the  others  were  driven  on  shore,  some 
being  total  wrecks. 

While  new   preparations  were  making  for  the 
voyage  which  had  thus  been  delayed,  most  im- 


CHARACTER   AND  WORK   OF   COLUMBUS.      187 

portant  intelligence  was  received.  Hitherto,  the 
gold  found  had  been  obtained  from  the  sand  of 
the  mountain  torrents,  but  no  places  had  been 
discovered  where  the  veins  of  the  precious  metal 
might  be  wrought.  A  young  man  had  fled  with 
a  young  Indian  woman  (she  was  afterwards  bap 
tized,  and  married  to  him),  and  resided  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  island,  near  the  present  city 
of  St.  Domingo.  Hoping  to  retain  him,  and  know 
ing  how  much  the  Spaniards  valued  gold,  she  took 
him  to  several  places  in  the  mountains,  where 
gold-veins  were  to  be  seen  in  the  rocks.  In  the 
midst  of  so  much  that  is  dark  and  even  disgust 
ing  in  the  behavior  of  the  bulk  of  the  Spaniards, 
it  is  pleasing  to  have  one  instance  to  record  of 
virtue  and  nobleness  of  mind.  The  young  man 
had  been  in  the  service  of  Bartolomeo  Columbus, 
and,  knowing  the  importance  of  the  information 
he  could  afford,  he  believed  that  he  should  obtain 
pardon  for  his  desertion,  and  therefore  returned 
to  state  what  he  had  learned.  He  was  equally 
faithful  to  his  Indian  bride  and  to  his  country* 


188  COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  lost  no  lime  in  having  these  incip 
ient  mines  examined,  and  rejoiced  that  the  oppor 
tunity  of  carrying  such  intelligence  to  Spain  had 
been  afforded  him.  The  voyage  was  long  and 
disastrous.  The  winds  were  tempestuous  and  con 
trary.  The  vessel  was  crowded;  and  some  of  the 
most  factious  having  resolved  to  return,  and  others 
being  compelled  to  do  so  by  the  failure  of  their 
health.  The  usual  sufferings  of  a  stormy  and 
protracted  passage  were  aggravated  by  an  alarm 
ing  scarcity  of  provisions.  Some  who  were  on 
board  wished  Columbus  to  kill,  for  food,  some  of 
the  Indians  he  was  taking  with  him  ;  and  it  re 
quired  all  his  authority  and  firmness  to  prevent 
the  execution  of  their  horrid  proposal.  The 
voyage  was  at  length  concluded ;  and  on  the  llth 
of  June,  1496,  the  vessel  anchored  in  the  bay  of 
Cadiz. 

It  was  as  though  everything  now  conspired 
against  Columbus.  From  that  port  he  had  sailed 
with  a  splendid  equipment,  and  fifteen  hundred 
enthusiastic  followers,  amid  the  plaudits  and  shouts 


CHARACTER   AND   WORK   OF   COLUMBUS.      189 

of  a  multitude  of  spectators.  One  shattered 
vessel  returned,  with  a  sickly  and  half-famished 
crew,  and  passengers  in  the  same  condition. 
Their  garments  were  tattered,  their  countenances 
sunken  and  care-worn,  and  their  complexion  so 
sallow,  that  the  angry  and  biting  jest  became 
common,  that  "they  had  brought  home  more  gold 
in  their  faces  than  in  their  pockets."  Columbus 
himself,  who  had  put  off  from  that  very  shore  a 
splendidly  arrayed  cavalier,  in  glittering  armor, 
came  on  shore,  in  pursuance  of  some  vow,  in  the 
habit  of  a  Franciscan  friar,  his  beard  long  and 
untrimmed,  and  girt  round  the  waist  with  the 
cord  of  the  order.  He  hastened,  however,  to  the 
court  at  Burgos,  carrying  with  him  a  number  of 
golden  ornaments  and  several  Indians.  He  was 
received  with  favor,  and  even  kindness ;  but  he 
soon  perceived  that  the  national  enthusiasm  had 
died  away,  that  his  enemies  were  numerous  and 
powerful,  ready  to  exaggerate  his  mistakes  into 
faults,  his  faults  into  high  crimes.  But  for  the 


190  COLUMBUS. 

resolution  of  the  sovereigns,  he  must  have  sunk 
under  the  weight  thus  fallen  upon  him. 

The  discovery  of  the  gold  mines  at  Hayti  was 
a  favorable  circumstance ;  and,  perhaps,  chiefty 
induced  the  sovereigns  to  comply  with  his  re 
quest,  that  two  vessels  should  be  despatched  with 
supplies  for  the  colony,  and  six  put  under  his  own 
command  for  a  third  voyage  of  discovery.  But 
he  had  to  experience  many  vexatious  delays.  He 
felt  the  enmity  of  Fonseca  at  every  step.  The 
Spanish  exchequer  was  inadequate  to  the  pressing 
demands  then  made  on  it  through  the  foreign  rela 
tions  of  the  country.  It  had  been  hoped  that,  not 
only  would  these  new  Indies  repay  the  expenses 
connected  with  their  discovery,  but  material^,  and 
at  once,  improve  the  finances  of  the  state.  Instead 
of  this,  there  was  a  present  and  heavy  expenditure, 
far  exceeding  the  actual  returns.  Few  saw  that 
the  returns,  though  slow,  were  ultimately  certain. 
Fewer  still  perceived,  or  were  willing  to  acknowl 
edge,  the  reason  they  were  not  greater.  Agri 
culture  had  been  neglected,  for  those  greedy 


CHABACTER   AND   WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      191 

for  gold  would  not  condescend  to  labor.  The 
Indians  had  been  so  treated,  that  even  the  little 
cultivation  of  the  ground  to  which  they  were 
accustomed  had  been  resolutely  omitted,  as  they 
hoped,  at  the  hazard  of  starving  themselves,  to 
starve  out  their  invaders.  The  more  able  and 
faithful  Spaniards  had  to  be  employed  in  conflicts 
which  the  wanton  and  intolerable  outrages  the 
others  had  provoked;  conflicts  so  devastating, 
that  the  natives  were  almost  exterminated.  In 
four  years  from  the  first  arrival  of  the  Euro 
peans,  several  hundred  thousands  had  been  made 
their  victims.  Famine,  at  one  time,  was  only 
avoided  by  a  law  of  compulsory  labor,  and  a 
diminished  allowance  of  food.  Hence  the  poverty 
of  the  settlement,  and  the  torrent  of  complaints 
of  the  settlers.  "These  unpalatable  regulations," 
Mr.  Prescott  has  observed,  with  a  keen  sense  of 
justice  "  soon  bred  general  discontent.  The 
high-mettled  hidalgos,  especially,  complained 
loudly  of  the  indignity  of  such  mechanical 
drudgery,  while  Father  Buyl  and  his  brethren 


192  COLUMBUS. 

were  equally  outraged  by  the  diminution  of  their 
regular  rations." 

The  fleet  was  not  ready  for  Columbus  till  the 
beginning  of  1498 ;  and  when  the  vessels  were 
equipped,  great  difficulty  was  found  in  manning 
them.  The  tide  of  popular  feeling  had  set  in 
against  the  expedition.  At  length  ,he  suggested 
the  unhappy  expedient,  the  bitter  fruit  of  which 
he  himself  soon  felt,  of  commuting  the  punish 
ment  of  convicts  to  transportation  to  the  West 
Indies.  The  evils  which  already  so  oppressed 
him  arose  from  the  bad  character  of  so  many  of 
the  settlers ;  and  this  measure  tended  powerfully 
to  strengthen  the  mischief. 

At  length,  all  things  being  ready,  he  sailed 
from  St.  Lucar  on  May  30th,  1498.  But,  just 
before  he  embarked,  a  painful  incident  occurred, 
in  which  the  well-disciplined,  strongly  governed 
mind  of  the  man  was  for  once,  unhappily  over 
come.  The  enmity  of  Fonseca  was  so  well 
known  that  even  his  menial  agents  were  encour 
aged  to  be  insolent.  One  of  them,  Ximeno  de 


CHARACTER   AND  WORK  OF   COLUMBUS.      193 

Breviesca,  a  converted  Moor  or  Jew,  whose  tongue 
was  unbridled,  so  provoked  Columbus  by  his  au 
dacity,  that  he  struck  him  down  and  spurned  him. 
He  had  to  pause  now  for  his  own  justification. 
This  act  was  declared  to  be  a  proof  of  his  vindic 
tive  temper  and  harshness  in  government.  He  en 
treated  the  sovereigns  not  to  allow  it  to  injure 
him  in  their  opinion,  "but  to  remember,  when 
anything  should  be  said  to  his  disparagement, 
that  he  was  4  absent,  envied,  and  a  stranger.'  "  * 

*  Washington  living's  Life  of  Columbus. 


KATIVE  HOUSE. 


CHAPTER  XIY< 

THE  THIED  VOYAGE. 

THE  third  voyage  of  this  great  man  was  now 
commenced.  From  the  Madeira  Islands  he 
despatched  three  of  hie  vessels  to  Hispaniola  with 
supplies ;  with  the  remaining  three  he  prosecuted 
his  own  voyage,  sailing  first  for  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands,  and  thence  south-west  till  he 
arrived  in  the  latitude  of  5°  north.  Here  the 
weather  became  calm,  and  intensely  hot.  Ulti 
mately,  he  availed  himself  of  a  light  breeze,  and 
sailed  more  northerly.  On  the  31st  of  July,  three 
mountains  were  seen  from  the  mast-head.  Sailing 
towards  them,  he  came  to  an  island,  to  which, 
because  these  three  mountains  at  the  base  were 
united,  he  gave  the  name  which  it  still  retains, 
Trinidad.  Sailing  along  its  south  side,  he  saw 

194 


THE   THIBD  VOYAGE.  195 

land  stretching  away  for  twenty  leagues.  Sup 
posing  it  to  be  another  island,  he  called  it  La 
Isla  Santa.  It  was  part  of  the  coast  of  the  great 
South  American  continent,  near  the  mouths  of 
the  Orinoco,  which  he  then,  though  not  aware  of. 
it,  beheld  for  the  first  time. 

Trinidad  seems  almost  as  though  broken  off 
from  the  continent.  Its  northern  coast  runs  on 
as  though  it  were  a  continuation  of  the  coast  of 
the  mainland.  Just  opposite  its  western  corner, 
the  mainland  sends  out  a  long,  projecting,  narrow 
neck,  as  though  to  meet  it,  which  it  almost  does. 
Southward,  it  recedes  again  to  the  west,  forming  a 
gulf,  bounded  by  the  mainland  on  the  west,  and 
Trinidad  on  the  east.  On  the  north  and  south 
the  island  and  continent  project  toAvards  each 
oilier:  the  spaces  between  them  are  the  only 
entrances  from  the  sea.  One  of  the  outlets  of 
the  Orinoco  flows  into  it.  This  is  the  Gulf  of 
Paria. 

Columbus  spent  a  little  time  here.  He  was 
surprised  at  the  lessened  saltness  of  the  water. 


196  COLUMBUS. 

He  little  thought  that  the  group  of  numerous 
islands  were  formed  by  the  different  outlets  of  a 
mighty  river,  or  that  when  he  went  on  shore  he 
then  stood  on  the  terra  fir  ma  of  a  vast  continent. 
From  the  natives  he  procured  a  number  of  pearls, 
many  of  them  of  fine  size  and  quality.  The 
fishery  for  pearls  was  a  gratifying  discovery  to 
him ;  and  the  various  phenomena  he  witnessed 
so  strongly  excited  his  curiosity,  that  lie  much 
wished  to  remain  longer  for  further  investigation. 
But  his  sea-stores  were  almost  exhausted,  and  he 
was  suffering  severely  from  the  gout.  On  the 
14th  of  August  he  left  the  gulf  by  its  northern 
entrance,  and  sailed  direct  for  Hispaniola,  where 
he  arrived  wearied,  and,  through  a  complaint  in 
his  eyes,  almost  blind.  He  was  most  affection 
ately  welcomed  by  the  adelantado,  or  lieutenant- 
governor,  his  brother  Bartolomeo,  whom  he  had 
invested  with  that  command  on  his  departure. 

Columbus  found  the  affairs  of  the  colony  in  a 
deplorable  state.  Faction  had  produced  the  most 
destructive  dissensions.  Conspiracies  had  been 


THE   THIRD  VOYAGE.  197 

formed,  which  required  force  to  put  them  down ; 
and  great  outrages  had  been  committed  on  the 
Indians.  These  were  so  exasperated,  that  when 
they  beheld  the  weakness  occasioned  by  these 
quarrels  and  disturbances,  they  refused  to  pay  the 
accustomed  tribute.  A  traitor  by  the  name  of 
Hold  an  induced  a  number  of  Spaniards  to  accom 
pany  him  to  a  part  of  the  island  where  he  said 
they  might  establish  themselves,  and  live  easy  and 
happy  lives.  By  happiness  he  meant  sensuality. 
He  instigated  the  Indians  to  war,  and  the  ade- 
lantado  and  his  troops  were  almost  wearied  out 
with  the  incessant  toil  thus  occasioned.  Never 
was  the  Christian  name  more  fearfully  disgraced, 
and  never  was  the  moral  character  of  the  Divine 
administration  more  clearly  visible.  The  natural 
operations  of  wickedness,  not  only  extinguished 
what  might  have  been  a  rich  and  noble  prosperity ; 
as  advantageous  to  the  natives  as  to  the  settlers, 
but  lit  up  a  flame  of  mischief  ultimately  destruc 
tive  of  the  very  last  Indian,  and  withered  the 
European  settlements  in  their  whole  progress,  till 


198  COLUMBUS. 

a  dreadful  revenge,  almost  in  our  own  day,  drove 
out  the  last  white  man,  and  left  Hayti  the  pos 
session  of  the  imported  negroes. 

When  Columbus  arrived,  Roldan  and  his  party 
were  living  in  another  part  of  the  island.  The 
caravels  sent  by  Columbus  from  Cape  de  Verde 
Islands  had  put  in  there,  and,  as  the  captains 
were  ignorant  of  the  real  state  of  the  island,  the 
rebel  was  received  on  board,  and  soon  persuaded 
the  half-pardoned  convicts  to  join  him.  His 
strength  was  so  great,  that  Columbus,  though 
superior,  felt  it  necessary  to  temporize,  lest  in  the 
weakness  of  civil  war,  the  Indians  should  destroy 
both.  But  though  an  apparent  accommodation 
was  affected,  the  cause  of  Columbus  was  deeply 
injured  in  Spain.  Roldan  wrote  home,  and  laid 
all  the  blame  011  the  brothers.  Columbus  simply 
narrated  the  affair ;  but  the  tales  of  his  enemies 
found  believers,  and  added  to  the  prejudices 
against  him  which  had  already  operated  power 
fully.  In  such  cases,  the  worse  side,  unless  dealt 
with  by  justice  in  its  powers,  will  always  gain  the 


THE   THIRD  VOYAGE.  199 

ascendancy.     For   such  men  as  this  Roldan,  not 
to  be  punished  was  a  victory. 

For  some  time  matters  continued  in  this  pain 
ful  condition.  But  at  home,  the  power  of  his 
enemies  increased.  At  every  opportunity  he  sent 
true  accounts  of  the  actual  stale  of  things  ;  but 
Fonseca  was  always  ready  to  receive  accusations, 
and  was  supported  by  the  friends  of  the  abandoned 
wretches  who  were  thus  building  up  in  wickedness 
Spanish  colonization  in  the  New  World.  He  was 
one,  and  at  a  distance,  and  spoke  only  by  his  let 
ters.  His  enemies  at  home  and  abroad  were 
numerous.  The  settlers  opposed  to  him  were 
men  not  likely  to  regard  truth,  and  their  friends 
in  Spain  only  sought  matter  of  accusation. 

By  numbers  and  perseverance  they,  at  length, 
so  far  prevailed,  that  Ferdinand  had  not  courage 
to  continue  his  resistance.  His  craftiness  would 
likewise  induce  him  to  think  that  Columbus  had 
already  done  as  much  service  as  was  to  be  ex 
pected  from  him,  and  that  his  withdrawment 
would  at  all  events  bring  peace.  He  yielded, 


200  COLUMBUS. 

therefore,  to  the  solicitations  of  the  adversaries 
of  Columbus,  who  were  careful  to  present  their 
requests  in  the  most  equitable  guise,  and  conceal 
their  unconquerable  animosity  under  the  appear 
ances  of  a  strict  justice.  They  only  wished  for 
inquiry ;  from  which  Columbus,  if  innocent,  as  he 
represented  himself,  would  come  forth,  not  only 
with  safety,  but  with  honor.  They  thus  procured 
the  appointment  of  a  judge,  invested  with  full 
powers,  and  therefore  superior  to  the  admiral  him 
self.  Had  a  proper  person  been  appointed,  the 
bold  Genoese,  whose  gifts  were  so  far  in  advance 
of  his  age,  would  have  been  spared  the  cutting 
degradation  to  which  he  was  subjected,  and  Fer 
dinand  the  blackest  ingratitude  of  which  he  could 
have  been  guilty.  It  was  right  that  the  matter 
should  have  been  brought  to  decision.  But  had 
Ferdinand  desired,  not  simply  to  be  freed  from 
the  trouble  of  hearing  accusations,  designed  by 
constant  repetition  to  supply  the  lack  of  truth  and 
honesty,  but  to  procure  a  decision  which  should 
establish  the  truth,  he  ought  to  have  taken  the 


THE   THIRD  VOYAGE.  201 

utmost  care  to  send  out  one  from  whom,  so  far  as- 
expectation  may  be  founded  on  man,  he  might 
satisfactorily  expect  a  decision  according  to  jus 
tice.  Awful  is  the  responsibility  of  those  who 
possess  power,  be  it  in  a  higher  or  lower  degree. 
An  obligation  rests  on  them  to  be  just.  Mistaken 
they  may  be,  for  they  are  men ;  but  no  allowance 
is  to  be  made  for  mistakes  where  every  precaution 
has  not  been  taken  to  avoid  them. 

The  person  appointed  as  Ferdinand's  delegate, 
—  and  for  whose  acts,  Ferdinand  himself  was 
responsible,  —  was  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla. 
He  was  an  officer  in  the  royal  household,  and 
commander  of  the  religious  and  military  order 
of  Calatrava.  He  was  said  to  be  a  very  religious 
man.  Among  the  evil-doers  in  Hispaniola  who 
had  ruined  the  colony,  and  were  now  seeking 
revenge  on  Columbus  because  he  opposed  their 
indolence,  licentiousness,  avarice,  and  haughtiness, 
perhaps  there  was  scarcely  one  who  would  not,  at 
the  appointed  hour,  recite  the  regular  prayers. 
Fonseca  likewise  was  called  a  religious  man.  But 


202  COLUMBUS. 

the  religion  of  mere  externalism  is  no  security  for 
moral  uprightness.  With  far  greater  truth,  it 
is  said  that  he  was  passionate  and  ambitious; 
and  also,  that,  though  in  exalted  rank,  his  circum 
stances  were  needy. 

Don  Francisco  arrived  at  St.  Domingo  on  the 
23rd  of  August,  1500.  Columbus  had  just  put 
down  a  daring  rebellion,  and  had  felt  himself 
obliged,  by  its  character,  to  cause  some  of  the 
leaders  to  be  executed.  Their  bodies,  suspended 
on  a  gibbet  near  the  harbor,  were  seen  by  Boba- 
dilla  as  he  entered,  and  he  immediately  accepted 
this  as  a  proof  of  the  admiral's  cruelty.  He  had 
been  invested  with  the  power  of  governor,  in  case 
of  the  proved  delinquency  of  Columbus ;  but  the 
day  after  he  landed  without  inquiry,  except  from 
the  admiral's  foes,  who  had  already  gained  his 
favor,  and  without  having  even  seen  Columbus, 
he  caused  his  patent  as  governor  to  be  proclaimed, 
and  assumed  the  supreme  authority.  He  took  up 
his  abode  in  the  house  of  Columbus,  who  was  then 
absent,  seized  011  all  his  papers,  and  disposed  of 


THE  THIRD  VOYAGE.  205 

all  his  property  as  if  already  confiscated  to  the 
crown. 

The  remainder  may  be  anticipated.  The  officer 
who  could  act  thus  was  not  likely  to  observe  any 
further  forms  of  justice,  nor  to  exercise  his  power 
with  mercy.  He  arrested  Don  Diego  without 
stating  any  reason,  put  him  in  irons,  and  confined 
him  on  board  a  vessel  in  the  harbor.  As  soon  as 
Columbus  arrived,  he  ordered  him  also  to  be 
arrested,  conducted  to  the  fort  as  a  prisoner,  and 
likewise  to  be  put  in  irons.  Columbus  submitted 
patiently  to  all;  but  when  the  fetters  were 
brought,  the  recollection  of  his  services,  as  well  as 
his  unbroken  dignity  in  misfortune,  made  every 
one  unwilling  to  put  them  on;  and  the  hero  of 
adversity  stood  waiting  to  be  manacled,  till  one  of 
his  own  servants  came  forward  to  rivet  the  chains. 
Two  fine  pictures  might  be  furnished  by  an  artist 
capable  of  expressing  on  canvas  the  thought  as 
shown  in  the  countenance.  The  first  should  be 
Columbus  on  the  prow  of  his  vessel,  looking  to 
wards  the  land,  in  the  first  glow  of  the  morning 


206  COLUMBUS. 

after  the  night  in  which  land  had  been  discovered. 
The  second  should  be  Columbus  standing  in  the 
prison  of  the  fortress,  surrounded  by  those  who 
had  conducted  him  there,  holding  the  fetters  that 
they  shrank  from  fastening  on  him ;  while,  in  per 
fect  contrast  with  the  nobility  of  the  prisoner, 
would  be  seen  the  reptile  meanness  of  the  servant 
coming  forward  to  bind  him. 

Not  even  the  dignified  submission  of  Columbus 
could  affect  the  soul  of  Bobadilla,  who,  judging  of 
others  by  himself,  seemed  to  have  believed  that 
his  prisoner  was  awed  by  the  dignity  of  his  su 
perior.  Don  Bartolomeo,  arriving  soon  after, 
experienced  the  same  treatment.  Vice  had  now 
obtained  the  victory.  The}r  whose  conduct  had 
occasioned  the  distresses  of  the  colony  revelled  in 
their  triumph.  Bobadilla  soon  collected  sufficient 
matter  of  accusation,  and  Columbus,  still  in 
chains,  was  ordered  to  be  taken  to  Spain.  He 
went  to  the  ship  once  more  amidst  shouts ;  but 
they  were  the  shouts  of  a  miscreant  rabble,  who 
took  a  brutal  joy  in  heaping  insults  on  his  venera- 


THE   THIRD  VOYAGE.  207 

ble  head;  and  sent  curses  after  him  from  the 
island  he  had  so  recently  added  to  the  civilized 
world.*  The  officer  who  had  to  convey  him  to 
Spain,  Alonzo  de  Villejo,  was  in  the  employ  of 
Fonseca,  —  a  significant  circumstance.  He  was  a 
man,  however,  of  honorable  feeling,  and  sought 
to  render  the  voyage  as  little  irksome  to  him  as 
possible.  He  would  have  removed  the  irons ;  but 
to  this  Columbus  would  not  consent.  "I  was 
directed  by  my  sovereigns  to  submit  to  Bobadilla 
in  their  name.  By  their  authority  he  has  put  on 
me  these  chains,  and  I  will  wear  them  till  they 
are  by  the  same  authority  removed.  I  shall  then 
preserve  them  as  relics  and  memorials  of  the  re 
ward  of  my  services."  He  afterwards  hung  them 
up  in  his  cabinet,  and  his  dying  request  was  that 
they  might  be  buried  with  him. 

When    Columbus    arrived   in    Cadiz,    and   was 
taken   on  shore  in  chains,  a  generous  burst  of  in 
dignation  arose  on  every  side,  which  soon  spread, 
throughout   Spain.      Not   knowing   how   far    his 
*  Washington  Irving' s  Life  of  Columbus. 


208  COLUMBUS. 

treatment  was  due  to  the  orders  of  the  sovereigns, 
he  did  not  write  to  them,  but  to  a  lady  of  high 
rank,  who  had  been  nurse  to  Prince  Juan.  To 
her  he  fully  explained  the  whole  case,  justifying 
his  conduct  so  clearly,  and  in  such  moving  lan 
guage,  that  when  the  letter  was  read  to  Isabella, 
her  sympathy  and  indignation  were  strongly  ex 
cited.  The  king,  too,  soon  saw  that  his  officers 
had  not  only  gone  too  far  for  justice,  but  too  far 
even  for  the  public  opinion  of  that  day.  Orders 
were  sent  off,  without  waiting  for  the  despatches 
of  Bobadilla,  to  release  the  prisoner ;  a  large  sum 
of  money  was  sent  to  him,  and  he  was  directed  to 
repair  forthwith  to  the  court.  His  reception  there 
was  as  favorable  as  ever.  When  the  queen  saw 
him  approach,  still  dignified,  but  mournful,  and 
now  evidently  worn  with  both  care  and  age,  shr 
burst  into  tears,  and  Columbus  was  subdued. 
The  contumely  of  the  upstarts  of  Hispaniola,  his 
lofty  mind  had  sustained;  but  to  see  the  weeping 
sympathy  of  his  sovereign,  was  more  than  he  could 
bear.  He  knelt  before  her,  and  wept  aloud.  The 


THE  THIED  VOYAGE.  209 

sovereigns  encouraged  him  by  kind  expressions 
and  he  eloquently  vindicated  himself.  Ferdinand 
saw  through  the  whole ;  but  he  was  now  resolved 
to  be  governed  by  his  usual  policy.  Columbus 
should  be  honored  and  rewarded,  but  not  restored 
to  his  former  official  condition. 

The  king  began  now  to  be  aware  of  the  true 
magnificence  and  value  of  the  almost  boundless 
field  of  discovery  to  which  Columbus  had  led  the 
way ;  and  he  was  unwilling  to  allow  him  to  realize 
the  honors  and  wealth  for  which  he  had  originally 
stipulated.  He  endeavored  to  prevail  on  this 
faithful  servant  to  exchange  the  reward  previously 
agreed  upon,  for  possessions  and  rank  in  Spain. 
He  felt  that  Columbus  was  no  longer  necessary; 
and  the  viceroyalty  of  the  Spanish  Indies  already 
appeared  to  be  an  office  to  which  some,  even 
among  the,  higher  rank  of  courtiers,  might  aspire. 
And  this  point  was  soon  decided.  Not  only  the 
conduct  of  Bobadilla  to  Columbus,  but  his  subse 
quent  conduct  to  the  natives,  demanded  his  recall. 
His  own  avarice  suggested  that  this  might  be  the 


210  COLUMBUS. 

case ;  and  he  both  acted  accordingly  himself,  and 
exhorted  his  menial  supporters  to  do  the  same. 
To  collect  gold  by  any  means  was  their  only 
object;  and  to  effect  this,  the  natives  were  op 
pressed,  and  the  colony  governed,  worse  than 
ever.  Don  Nicolas  de  Ovando  was  appointed  to 
supersede  him.  He  was  very  different  from  his 
predecessor,  but  to  the  Indians  he  was  a  cruel  op 
pressor;  and  his  conduct  to  Columbus  was  most 
ungenerous.  His  powers  were  ample,  and  govern 
ment  extensive  ;  and  with  a  brilliant  retinue,  and 
thirty  vessels,  carrying  two  thousand  five  hun 
dred  persons,  he  left  Spain  for  the  new  world  on 
February  13th,  1502. 

Columbus  remained  at  home,  a  solicitor  for  jus 
tice.  At  one  time,  he  conceived  a  project  for  the 
recovery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  At  length,  the 
arrival  of  Vasco  de  Gama  from  India,  and  the 
wealth  which  seemed  pouring  into  Portugal,  in 
duced  him  to  request  that  he  might  undertake  a 
fourth  voyage,  in  which  he  still  hoped  to  arrive  at 
Asia  by  sailing  to  the  west. 


A 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   FOURTH  VOYAGE. 

T  last  he  obtained  permission;  and  having 


completed  the  necessary  preparations,  on 
the  9th  of  May,  1502,  he  sailed  from  Cadiz, 
though  with  only  four  vessels;  the  largest  of 
seventy,  the  smallest  of  fifty,  tons  burden.  His 
crew  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
His  object  was  to  discover  a  strait  by  which  he 
might  pass  into  undiscovered  seas,  and  complete 
the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe.  He  was  for 
bidden  to  touch  at  Hispaniola ;  and  his  own  plan 
was  to  follow  the  coast  from  the  Gulf  of  Paria 
till  he  should  arrive  at  the  expected  opening.  He 
reached  Martinico  on  the  15th  of  June.  The 
leaky  condition  of  his  own  vessel,  and  her  unfit- 
ness  to  struggle  with  stormy  weather,  obliged  him 

211 


212  COLUMBUS. 

to  sail  to  Santo  Domingo,  hoping  to  exchange  his 
vessel  there  for  a  better.  Ovando  refused  to 
allow  him  even  to  land.  A  fleet  was  at  that  time 
ready  to  sail  for  the  mother  country.  On  board 
were  several  mutineers,  whom  Ovando  was  send 
ing  home  for  trial.  Bobadilla  was  returning,  hav 
ing  succeeded  in  amassing  immense  riches.  He 
had  one  large  mass  of  pure  gold,  which  he  in 
tended  as  a  present  to  purchase  security.  Other 
adventurers  had  likewise  taken  on  board  large 
quantities  of  gold.  One  vessel,  said  to  be  the 
weakest  in  the  fleet,  carried  about  four  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  the  property  of  Columbus,  which 
his  agent  was  remitting.  Though  repelled  from 
the  shores  he  had  discovered,  Columbus  was 
not  like  his  vindictive  foes.  His  knowledge  led 
him  to  anticipate  the  approach  of  a  hurricane ; 
and  he  sent  a  message,  stating  his  fears,  and  pray 
ing  that  the  departure  of  the  fleet,  the  wealthiest 
that  had  yet  sailed  for  Spain,  might  be  delayed. 
He  himself  took  refuge  in  a  place  of  as  great 
security  as  he  could  find,  some  distance  to  the 


THE  FOURTH  VOYAGE.  213 

westward.  In  a  day  or  two  a  tremendous  hurri 
cane  came  on,  and  nothing  but  the  precautions 
he  had  taken  saved  his  little  fleet  from  total 
destruction. 

In  the  mean  time,  Ovando,  so  far  from  attend 
ing  to  the  warning  thus  kindly  given,  had  has 
tened  the  sailing  of  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  Boba- 
dilla,  with  his  ill-gotten  riches,  rejoiced  to  find 
himself  on  his  way  home.  Scarcely  were  they 
well  out  to  sea,  when  the  storm  came  down  in 
fury,  and  the  sailors  were  utterly  powerless.  Of 
the  eighteen  ships,  only  three  or  four  escaped; 
and  these  were  obliged  to  return  to  St.  Domingo. 
The  richest  vessels  foundered,  and  among  them 

that  which  carried  Bobaclilla  and  his  wealth;  as 

% 
also  did  one  on  board  which  were  two  hundred 

thousand  castellanos  of  gold,  one-half  of  which 
was  the  property  of  the  crown. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  vessel  containing  the 
property  of  Columbus  sustained  the  least  injury, 
and  that  it  was  the  only  one  that  returned  safe 
to  Spain.  It  is  not  for  man  to  speak  as  an  oracle 


214  COLUMBUS. 

on  such  events.  Our  Saviour,  in  the  case  of  the 
Galileans  slain  by  Pilate,  and  those  on  whom  the 
tower  in  Siloam  fell,  has  forbidden  all  such  rash 
decisions  concerning  the  administration  of  the 
providential  government  of  God.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  "  there  is 
a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth ; "  and  that  there 
are  occurrences  in  which  "  the  Lord  is  known  by 
the  judgments  which  He  execute th."  When  such 
wonderful  coincidences  are  seen,  the  Christian  will 
bow  with  awe  in  adoration  of  the  righteousness 
of  the  Lord  God  omnipotent,  who  reigneth  King 
forever. 

Columbus  now  pursued  his  voyage.  He  first 
arrived  on  the  south  coast  of  Cuba,  and  thence 
steering  nearly  to  the  south-west,  he  reached  the 
mainland  where  Truxillo  now  stands,  in  the  Gulf 
of  Honduras.  The  inhabitants  here  told  him  of 
a  country  well  cultivated,  rich,  arid  populous,  to 
the  north-west.  Never  was  he  so  near  his  great 
object  as  now.  Had  he  listened  to  them,  the  dis 
covery  of  Mexico  might  not  have  been  left  for 


THE  FOURTH  VOYAGE.  215 

Cortes.  He  was  now  on  the  northern  coast  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama.  Only  once,  and  that  not 
yet,  was  he  within  a  less  distance  of  the  mighty 
Pacific,  But  he  was  prepossessed  by  the  belief  of 
a  strait;  and  for  its  discovery  kept  sailing  along 
the  coast,  to  the  east  and  south.  The  weather 
became  very  stormy,  and  himself  seriously  ill,  so 
that  for  some  time  he  made  little  progress.  The 
natives,  at  the  different  places  at  which  he  landed, 
he  found  more  warlike.  Various  rumors  induced 
him  several  times  to  send  out  exploring  parties ; 
and  he  had  sometimes  severe  contests  with  the 
Indians,  in  which  several  of  the  Spaniards  lost 
t^ir  lives.  &&&fc  UbT*% 

It  is  singular  that  he  paid  no  attention  to  the 
rumors  which  would  have  led  him  to  Mexico. 
Much  gold,  however,  was  collected ;  and  in  the 
end  of  April,  1503,  he  arrived  at  the  south-eastern 
extremity  of  the  isthmus,  at  its  narrowest  part, 
little  thinking  that  by  ascending  the  mountains  in 
the  interior,  the  wide  Pacific  would  have  been 
seen  rolling  beneath  him.  Here,  however,  his 


216  COLUMBUS. 

crews  refused  to  continue  the  voyage.  The  ships 
were  shattered,  the  men  worn  out  with  toil,  and 
on  the  first  of  May,  leaving  the  mainland  forever, 
he  steered  northward,  and  arrived  at  Cuba,  where 
their  vessels  were  found  no  longer  seaworthy. 
Diego  Mendez,  one  of  the  most  intrepid  and 
faithful  of  his  officers,  volunteered  to  endeavor  to 
reach  St.  Domingo  in  a  canoe  with  a  few  Indians. 
Columbus  was  left  for  many  weeks,  during  which 
his  men  mutinied,  and  some  escaped;  the  re 
mainder  were  so  feeble,  that  the  Indians  began  to 
grow  negligent  in  supplying  them  with  provisions. 
It  was  then  that  Columbus  employed  his  astro 
nomical  knowledge  to  good  effect,  by  predicting 
an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  so  terrifying  the  Indians, 
that  they  hastened  to  bring  food  in  abundance. 
Eight  months  thus  elapsed.  The  messengers  of 
Columbus  had  great  difficulty  in  persuading 
Ovando  to  send  a  vessel  for  Columbus  and  what 
remained  of  the  crew.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  this 
bad  man  wished  him  to  perish  in  his  abandon 
ment.  At  length,  after  many  excuses,  even  at  St. 


THE  FOURTH  VOYAGE.  219 

Domingo,  indignation  began  to  murmur  at  such 
black  and  shameless  ingratitude,  and  Ovando  was 
obliged  to  yield.  A  vessel  was  despatched,  and 
arrived  at  the  wrecked  and  useless  vessel  which 
for  nearly  a  year  had  been  the  dwelling  of  the 
discoverer  of  America;  and  on  the  18th  of 
August,  1504,  he  arrived  at  St.  Domingo,  where 
Ovando  received  him  with  much  apparent  cour 
tesy,  but  allowed  him  to  exercise  none  of  the 
powers  granted  to  him  by  his  original  agreement 
with  the  sovereigns. 

At  length,  subdued  in  spirit  by  the  ungrateful 
treatment  he  received,  on  the  12th  of  September 
he  finally  left  the  regions  he  had  opened  to 
Europe,  and,  on  the  7th  of  November  he  landed 
at  St.  Lucar;  thus  concluding  his  last  and  most 
disastrous,  but  yet  not  least  important  voyage. 

Columbus,  aged  and  infirm,  might  now  have 
expected  honorable  repose ;  but  his  last  days  were 
filled  with  little  more  than  afflictions  and  trials. 
The  property  in  his  possession  had  been  expended 
during  his  last  residence  at  St.  Domingo  and  in 


220  COLUMBUS. 

securing  his  return.  Immense  sums,  indeed,  were 
due  to  him ;  but  all  the  delays  and  obstacles  that 
the  Indian  Board,  over  which  his  old  enemy 
Fonseca  still  presided,  could  throw  in  his  way, 
were  employed  to  harass  him.  To  crown  all, 
when  he  arrived  in  Spain,  his  munificent  and 
changeless  friend,  the  queen,  was  on  her  death 
bed,  and  in  three  weeks  from  his  landing  she 
died.  Well  did  he  know  the  difference  between 
the  selfish  Ferdinand  and  the  noble  Isabella. 

By  the  cold-hearted  monarch  all  his  applica 
tions  were  treated  with  indifference.  He  was 
referred  to  the  officers  of  government,  and  per 
sonal  enmity  found  ample  means  for  seeming 
delay  and  real  neglect,  in  official  forms ;  and  thus 
he  who  had  opened  to  Spain  the  road  to  the 
wealth  of  the  New  World,  was  left  to  languish  in 
unrequited  poverty.  He  employed  various  per 
sons  in  unsuccessful  missions  to  the  court ;  and 
among  the  singular  events  of  the  history  of  this 
great  man,  not  the  least  singular  is,  that  one  of 
the  persons  thus  employed,  and  of  whom  he 


-Mit 'stylos  tftrrt&jraariladoS (2t  Ct^^Orna. 


TOMB  OF  COLUMBUS   AT  HAVANA. 


THE  FOURTH  VOYAGE.  223 

speaks  in  one  of  his  letters  as  a  "  worthy  but 
unfortunate  man,  who  had  not  profited  as  much 
as  he  deserved  by  his  undertakings,  and  who  had 
always  been  disposed  to  render  him  service,"  was 
no  other  than  the  man  from  whose  Christian 
name  the  regions  discovered  by  Columbus  have 
received  their  permanent  denomination,  Amerigo 
Vespucci. 

All  his  efforts  were  vain.  In  a  brief  interval 
of  recovered  strength  he  visited  Ferdinand,  who 
received  him  courteously,  and  paid  him  with 
smiles  and  good  words.  In  making  his  will,  in 
which  his  son  Diego  was  declared  his  heir,  he 
bequeathed  little  more  than  large  and  most  right 
eous  claims,  admitted  but  never  paid  to  himself, 
and  only  in  part  and  by  compromise,  to  his 
heirs. 

His  continued  illness  gradually  undermined  his 
iron  constitution ;  and  before  long  he  was  laid  on 
the  bed  of  death.  He  paid  to  the  last  ceremonies 
prescribed  by  the  church  the  most  exact  atten 
tion.  He  died,  aged  seventy,  at  Valladolid,  May 


224 


COLUMBUS. 


20th,  1506.  The  last  words  he  was  heard  to 
utter  were  one  of  the  accustomed  sentences, 
"  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord,  I  commend  my  spirit." 


Q 


0 


INSCRIPTION  ON  A   SILVER   PLATE  FOUND  IN  THE  COFFIN. 

He  was  first  interred  at  Valladolid,  and,  six 
years  later,  his  remains  were  removed  to  Seville, 
and  deposited  in  the  cathedral  there,  where  Fer 
dinand  had  no  objection  to  erect  a  stately  monu- 


THE  FOURTH   VOYAGE.  225 

ment  to  his  memory.  From  tKis  place,  in  1536, 
they  were  removed  to  St.  Domingo,  where  they 
remained  till  1795,  when,  on  the  cession  of  His- 
paniola  to  the  French,  the  Spaniards  resolved  that 
they  should  be  transported  to  Cuba.  The  tomb 
was  opened  on  the  20th  of  December,  and  the 
fragments  of  a  leaden  coffin,  with  bones  and  dust, 
were  found,  put  into  a  coffin  of  gilded  ]ead,  and, 
after  a  religious  service  the  next  day,  taken  to  the 
shore  in  an  imposing  military  and  ecclesiastical 
procession.  A  similar  procession  was  formed  at 
Havana,  to  receive  the  coffin  and  convey  it  to 
the  cathedral,  where  it  was  deposited  on  the  right 
side  of  the  high  altar. 


THE  END. 


